Mark Cuban Sues Dallas Mavericks Owners Over Arena Move and Loss of Basketball Control

Minority owner Mark Cuban has filed a “pre-suit deposition” request to obtain documents related to the Mavericks’ proposed move to a 104-acre site north of downtown Dallas. Cuban alleges that governor-owner Patrick Dumont froze him out of business opportunities tied to the new arena, which is slated to open in 2031 after the team’s lease at the American Airlines Center expires that same year. Cuban claims the filing shows Dumont’s “adversarial business practices” and that his own businesses are “contractually entitled to participate” in the development.

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In 2023 Cuban sold his majority stake to Miriam Adelson’s family and her son-in-law Patrick Dumont, retaining a 27 % minority share. The purchase agreement contained a handshake provision that Cuban would continue overseeing basketball operations while Dumont handled the business side, including real-estate development and a proposed destination-resort casino. After the sale, former general manager Nico Harrison assumed full basketball control and, in February 2025, executed a trade that sent franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Cuban says he learned of the trade only after it was completed, and Harrison was dismissed in November 2025 following a slow start to the 2025-26 season.

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Cuban’s filing asserts that Dumont “did not fulfill his end of this agreement” and that he was excluded from decisions that affect a “$4 billion asset.” Dumont countered that the ownership structure does not obligate him to cede control, asking, “Why would I give you control of a $4 billion asset?” The Mavericks organization declined to comment to the Associated Press.

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Commentators have described Cuban’s lawsuit as “petty,” noting that the dispute centers on contractual nuances rather than the franchise’s on-court performance. Observers also point out that the clause allowing the Adelson-Dumont families to purchase an additional 20 % of Cuban’s stake could reduce his ownership to as low as 7 %.

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• “adversarial business practices” — Mark Cuban

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• “contractually entitled to participate” — Mark Cuban

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• “The newspaper reported that Cuban said in a filing he was unaware of Harrison's plan to trade superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025 until it was too late to object and call off the trade.” — Mark Cuban

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• “Dumont did not fulfill his end of this agreement, and I did not retain control over basketball operations.” — Mark Cuban

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