Mark Cuban is accusing Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont of excluding him from business opportunities tied to a proposed relocation of the team, according to a lawsuit. Cuban alleges Dumont has pursued "adversarial business practices" in his efforts to move the Mavericks approximately 10 miles north of downtown Dallas to the site of a former mall.
A spokeswoman for the Mavericks declined to comment on the allegations. Cuban did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Cuban, the billionaire businessman, sold his majority stake in the Mavericks in 2023 to the families of Miriam Adelson and Dumont, who is Adelson’s son-in-law. At the time of the sale, Cuban stated he had an agreement to continue overseeing basketball operations. However, the lawsuit claims Dumont subsequently granted full control of basketball matters to former general manager Nico Harrison.
According to the filing, Cuban was not aware of Harrison's plan to trade star player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025 until it was too late to prevent the transaction. The Mavericks fired Harrison in November following a slow start to the 2025-26 season, a move that came after the proposed trade did not materialize.
Cuban currently owns 27% of the Mavericks. The purchase agreement reportedly includes a clause allowing the Adelson and Dumont families to acquire an additional 20% of Cuban's stake.
The lawsuit was filed shortly after the Mavericks secured an option agreement for about 104 acres in north Dallas. This land is intended for the construction of a new arena projected to open in 2031. The team's current lease at the American Airlines Center is set to expire in the same year. The Mavericks have been based in downtown Dallas since their inception as an expansion franchise in 1980.
Cuban asserts that his businesses were "contractually entitled to participate" in the development of the new site, which the lawsuit describes as a "unique investment opportunity."