Dallas, TX – As the Dallas Mavericks continue their battle for a spot in the play-ins, owner Mark Cuban spoke candidly to the press about the team’s frustrations and the future of star player Luka Doncic. Acknowledging the pressure to keep Doncic in Dallas, Cuban admitted that winning championships is the ultimate cure for uncertainty.
“It’s amazing how that cures all,” Cuban said, drawing parallels to other NBA stars who have faced similar questions about their futures. “I mean, before Giannis [Antetokounmpo] won, everybody was like, ‘Where’s he going? Where’s he going? He’s not staying. He’s not staying.’ [Nikola] Jokic, while they haven’t won, da, da, da, da, da. Dirk [Nowitzki] before [the Mavs won the 2010-11 title], right?”
The pressure to secure a championship has only intensified after Doncic’s recent admission of his own frustrations. Cuban recognizes the importance of delivering for his star player: “Look, players don’t talk like that, just like, ‘Hey, I’m here for the next 17 years.’ He’d like to be here the whole time, but we’ve got to earn that.”
In addition to discussing Doncic’s future, Cuban also addressed the team’s relationship with Kyrie Irving. Despite a less-than-stellar 8-15 record since Irving’s arrival, Cuban expressed his desire to keep Irving in Dallas, stating that everything he thought he knew about the player based on media reports was “100% wrong.”
“I’d love to have him stay for sure,” Cuban said. “I think he’s happy here. He tells me he’s happy here, and I get along great with him. I think he’s a good guy.”
However, Cuban was non-committal when asked about the possibility of offering Irving a maximum $272 million contract over five years. “I don’t know. I guess there’s always too high a price, depending, but now with the new CBA, it’s a different world.”
Lastly, Cuban touched on the departure of Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks, expressing regret that the Mavericks couldn’t do more to retain him. “Knowing the numbers now, I would’ve paid it in a heartbeat, but he wouldn’t have come anyway. There’s just no possible way that it was about money.”
With championship aspirations on the line, it’s clear that the Mavericks have their work cut out for them as they strive to secure a bright future for both Doncic and the team.