“If I Had to Choose Between My Wife and Keeping Luka Doncic on Mavs”: Mark Cuban’s Quote From 2020 Resurfaces After Lakers Trade

It’s no secret that Mark Cuban is a huge fan of Luka Doncic. The former majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks has revealed on many occasions how he actively worked to land the Slovenian in the 2018 Draft. His love for the former #3 pick is so deep that he would have gone to any lengths to ensure Doncic remained on the Mavericks roster.

Cuban sold his majority stake in the Mavericks in late 2023 but was involved in their basketball operations till last season. After their loss in the NBA Finals last year, Cuban was relieved of that position too. He no longer has any decision-making power in the organization. And in months, the franchise has traded Doncic.

In the aftermath of the massive three-team trade that saw Doncic move to the LA Lakers, Cuban’s words about how much he valued Doncic’s presence on the Mavs roster resurfaced on the internet. And boy isn’t it funny!

In an interview with Swishline in 2020, Cuban mentioned that he’d rather divorce his wife than see Luka leave the Mavs. This was just two years after drafting Luka. And Cuban was ready to leave his wife of 18 years (at that time), for a 21-year-old Slovenian ball player.

“If I had to choose between my wife and keeping Luka on the Mavs, catch me at my lawyer’s office preparing for a divorce,” Cuban had said.

If Cuban still had the reins to his franchise probably the trade would not have happened.

In hindsight, the quote reiterates one quality Cuban possesses — an eye for good talent. In 2020, Luka was just coming off the back of a ROTY season and hadn’t even made an All-NBA team. Since then, he’s gone on to make five All-NBA First Teams and five appearances as an All-Star Starter. Luka was the Mavs’ trump card.

However, the new Dallas management seems to think they’d have better luck winning a championship with a better defensive presence on the roster. Their trade for Anthony Davis just further proves that point.

Mavericks GM approached the Lakers offering to trade Doncic

In the hours following the blockbuster announcement of the trade, reports detailing how it took place have slowly emerged. The most telling among them was the report that Mavs’ General Manager, Nico Harrison, was actively seeking to trade Luka and that he approached the Lakers with the idea.

Reports have also emerged of Harrison justifying his decision to let the trade go through using the age-old adage, “Defense wins championships”.

ESPN’s Tim McMahon quoted Harrison as saying: “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”

While AD’s defensive prowess will significantly improve the Mavericks, their decision to part with Doncic of all players has left fans with a sour taste. And surely, Cuban would also be feeling a bit blue.