The past year has been a difficult period for the Dallas Mavericks. They will never escape the shadow of the Luka Dončić trade, no matter how impressive Cooper Flagg has been.
The team is gradually moving on from the remnants of that deal, firing Nico Harrison and trading away Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the Dončić trade. But it appears former owner Mark Cuban is prepared to take the reins again.
What is Mark Cuban Doing to Get the Mavericks Back?
NBA insider Marc Stein, known for his Dallas connections, reported that Cuban and a group of investors are attempting to buy the Mavericks back from owner Patrick Dumont.
“An unidentified Dallas investor group is interested in partnering with Mark Cuban to buy the Mavericks back from Patrick Dumont,” Stein reported.
However, Stein reported that, according to a source close to Dumont, the family remains optimistic about the franchise’s future and the Flagg era.
BREAKING: An unidentified Dallas investor group is interested in partnering with Mark Cuban to buy the Mavericks back from Patrick Dumont, @TheSteinLine has learned.
A source close to Dumont told me “the family remains excited about the future of the franchise and the Cooper… pic.twitter.com/C1lCVwZt4X
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 9, 2026
Cuban was the majority owner of the Mavericks from 2000 until 2023, when he sold his share to Dumont, Miriam Adelson, and Sivan Ochshorn. Since then, he has been a minority owner, a move that reduced his role with the team. The Mavericks reached the NBA Finals less than a year after the sale, but later traded Dončić in what is widely considered one of the worst transactions in league history.
Adding to that narrative was the Mavericks’ trade of Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, essentially a salary dump. If not for Dallas’ fortune in last May’s NBA Draft, the team’s outlook would be far more bleak.
Flagg’s electric play has softened the blow of losing Dončić, but it cannot erase it. If Cuban and this investor group succeed in buying the team back from Dumont, it could restore some hope in the franchise and potentially re‑energize the fan base. The Dončić trade alienated supporters because it was unexpected and widely viewed as misguided.
It would not immediately put the Mavericks back on track, but it would be a step forward. The team would not necessarily be in ideal hands with Cuban, but it would be in better hands than with Dumont, who approved the Dončić trade.
In multiple media interviews since the Dončić trade, Cuban emphasized he would not have approved the deal if he had still been in charge. He was one of the driving forces behind acquiring Dončić in the 2018 draft, orchestrating a swap of picks with the Atlanta Hawks to secure the Slovenian guard.
