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Mark Cuban, who sold the Mavericks at a $3.5 billion valuation, has maintained that he had a handshake agreement to remain in charge of the Mavericks’ basketball decisions after the sale. That didn’t happen. Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont instead leaned on general manager and president of basketball operations Nico Harrison to run the Mavericks’ front office until he fired Harrison nearly a year ago. In May, Dumont hired Masai Ujiri as Dallas’ chief basketball decision-maker. Cuban has said he regrets selling control of the Mavericks to the Adelson and Dumont families, but he still regularly attends home games. He sat in his usual spot along the baseline for Saturday’s home opener.
Mark Cuban said he learned some “hard lessons” from how things played out after he decided to sell his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson and Dumont families in 2023. In an appearance on the “Build or Break” podcast released Tuesday, Cuban told host Daniel Lubetzky: “I’m a really trusting partner. If I shake your hand, I mean it. So, yeah, that was a first for me.”
DLLS Mavs: Masai Ujiri on the Mavs broadcast: "Cooper Flagg will win a championship." Said he doesn't know when it will happen, but he believes it because of seeing his talent and work ethic up close. Adds "he can control a game."
Michael Scotto: Dallas Mavericks President Masai Ujiri on waiving Dwight Powell: “Dwight was the consummate professional throughout his 12 seasons with the Mavericks and embodies everything you want in someone representing your organization. He’s a tireless worker, an incredible teammate and someone whose impact extends well beyond the basketball court and into the Dallas community. We are grateful for everything Dwight has contributed to this franchise. He will always be part of the Mavericks family, and Dallas will always be a home for him. We wish him nothing but the best in this next chapter.”
Masai Ujiri: "I have to look ahead. When I look ahead, I see a generational player like Cooper Flagg. He's only 19 years old, which makes him a prince. You see the king potential. It's our job to make him there, to get him there, because he is prepared. He's had an incredible summer, he works out, he has the right attitude, right spirit, hopefully a winner."
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Masai Ujiri: "Kyrie Irving is one of the finest basketball players to ever walk around the world. I remember Kevin Durant saying there is only one Kyrie walking around the world. I am blessed to have had a relationship with him. Now we find ourselves on the same team. He is coming off injury, but he has had an incredible summer. He is right back at it. His spirit, you can tell he is a very passionate dude. He thinks differently, but inside, Kyrie is a great dude, a great person. All the young players look up to him. He is such a kind person around employees, around everybody."
Spears later added that if they decided to move on from each other, it would be an amicable split. He highlighted the strong relationship between Irving and Mavericks president Masai Ujiri as the reason for this. "Masai also has a really good relationship, with Kyrie Irving," Spears said. "I think it's the kind of relationship where if Kyrie says, 'hey Masai, like this isn't for me,' I think they could work together to get something done."
Mike Curtis: The #Mavs have officially announced they will hold their annual media day next Friday, Sept. 25 at 10 a.m. Masai Ujiri, Dusty May and players will be in attendance. Training camp practices will begin the following day as the team prepares for the 2026 NBA China Games.
Dirk Nowitzki: "Everybody knows that I pulled back there for a while. There were some things done that I didn't agree with and I kind of just pulled back from the franchise. But I know Masai for a long, long time. We've already had some discussions on what's going to transpire in the future and he obviously wants me to be a part of the Mavericks. But all these things are very early and very soon. Of course, I have my job as an analyst and with FIBA I'm on the board, so I travel a ton. There's nothing really imminent here in the near future, but I'll always, as we know, a Maverick for life."
After the Melo trade, did you feel you had to justify being traded for him, and how did you face the challenges in Denver, including the 57-win season, George Karl's Coach of the Year award, and his subsequent departure? Danilo Gallinari: Yeah, when Masai Ujiri and coach Karl talk about it, they blame it on me because I tore my ACL right before the playoffs that season, and then we lost against Golden State, and we were supposed to go all the way to the Finals, and so after the season, if I don't get injured, the season goes differently, and coach Karl being the Coach of the Year and Masai being the GM of the Year maybe they have a different path. The Nuggets have a different path, but that's another huge what-if. But I had a great time in Denver; it was the only team that I played for more than two years. I played there six and a half seasons, so it's definitely the city and the team that I'm closer to. And so I had a great time in Denver.
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Teams across the league are intrigued by how, or if, the 34-year-old Kyrie Irving fits in the Mavericks' long-term plans as the franchise prioritizes building around its teenage prodigy. A healthy Irving, who has averaged 25.5 points and 5.1 assists per game in a Mavs uniform, could be a prime target for contenders before the trade deadline if new Dallas president Masai Ujiri is willing to engage in those discussions. -- Tim MacMahon
In an interview with DLLS Mavs, Nowitzki shared that he had discussions with Ujiri on a potential comeback to the franchise. "Everybody knows that I pulled back there for a while, there was some things done that I didn't agree with and I kind of just pulled back from the franchise. But I know Masai for a long time. We've already had some discussions on what's going to transpire in the future and he obviously wants me to be a part of the Mavericks," Nowitzki detailed.
Barry Jackson: Klay is free to sign with Heat after 5 p.m. Sunday. Mavs president/basketball ops Masai Ujuri, in announcing Klay's buyout today: "Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization. We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward." (Mavs were agreeable to buyout after he expressed interest in playing for a contender.)
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that the team has reached a buyout agreement with guard/forward Klay Thompson. Thompson (6-6, 220) appeared in 141 games (80 starts) in his two seasons with Dallas and averaged 12.9 points on 40.3% shooting from the field and 38.7% from three. “Klay is one of the great players and competitors of his generation, and we are grateful for everything he brought to the Mavericks organization,” said Mavericks President of Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri. “We have tremendous respect for Klay and all that he has accomplished throughout his career, and we wish him nothing but the best moving forward.”