Mark Cuban set for more Mavericks heartbreak as NBA owner to trigger $3.5bn sale clause

Mark Cuban’s role within the Dallas Mavericks organization is about to get even smaller. The 68-year-old – worth an estimated $6.8 billion per Forbes – sold his majority stake in the Mavericks in 2023 in a sale worth $3.5 billion to Patrick Dumont and Miriam Adelson. Under his ownership, having initially purchased the team for a mere $285 million back in 2000, the Mavericks went on to win the 2011 NBA championship . They did so against all odds, defeating the Miami Heat ‘s newly-acquired ‘super team’ that was spearheaded by the big three of LeBron James , Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in a thrilling six-game series. Despite the sale of the Mavs to Dumont and Adelson, who are worth an estimated $40 billion combined in 2026 , Cuban maintained a 27 percent share in the team. However, the decision was made for him to step away from the day-to-day operations of the franchise, despite his intentions to stay on. This meant that when then-general manager Nico Harrison pulled the trigger on the blockbuster trade that sent generational talent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a package centered around All-NBA forward Anthony Davis , Cuban had no say. He then made some comments during a recent podcast appearance that appeared to allude to the idea that some promises were broken after he sanctioned the sale. Now, his role with the Mavericks is set to decrease even further. With Dumont and his wife Sivan, having now bought out Adelson’s share of the franchise in October, the pair are now officially the controlling owners of the Mavs with a 69 percent ownership of the franchise. But they could be set to acquire even more. A clause in the original $3.5 billion sale agreement stated that Dumont has the rights to acquire an additional 20 percent of the franchise from Cuban’s stake – an option which expires in December 2027. It now appears that Dumont is set to exercise this option, although an exact timeframe on when he will do so remains uncertain. Dumont tipped to exercise option on acquiring additions 20 percent Mavs stake “Our plan is to look at that and to do that over time,” Dumont told ESPN. Cuban had previously made comments back in March on an episode of the Intersections Podcast, where he expressed regret over selling the team to Dumont in particular. He didn’t, however, have any regrets over actually selling his stake , despite reports in February that, if the opportunity – albeit rare – presented itself, that he would perhaqps consider re-purchasing his original stake if he could. The Shark Tank investor became even more vocal about his frustrations when he accused Dumont of excluding him from business opportunities that pertains to the Mavs’ proposed arena relocation downtown . “It’s really about long-term investment in the city of Dallas ,” Patrick Dumont told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon of his plans for the team in the wake of being named the controlling owner. “The Dumont family is really committed to building what we hope is the best arena in the NBA, a really significant investment in the city that will help create the new 40-year home for the Dallas Mavericks, a great experience for our fans and inspire our team to win championships.” Despite Cuban’s recent comments, Dumont, at least publicly, expresses no ill-will toward him. “I just have to tell you, I love Mark,” he added. “He’s been a great family friend for a really long time. “He’s just a super passionate Mavs fan and he’s frustrated. I respect it. “We’re going to hopefully do him proud. That’s my goal – to make all of our Mavs fans super proud about the success of the team and win a championship.” Sign up for talkSPORT Stateside , the YouTube channel dedicated to passionate US Sports fans. Will Gavin, Brian T. Smith, former NFL star Efe Obada and a collection of special guests debate the biggest talking points across the NFL, soccer, NBA and more.