Mark Cuban is still not happy about how things shook out with the Mavericks, and now he’s making a move back into ownership elsewhere.
Cuban has joined Harbinger Sports Group in an effort to buy a stake in the soon-to-be Las Vegas Athletics, though the size of that ownership share has not been disclosed. ESPN reported that Cuban will serve as president of the group, with Atlanta Falcons minority owner Rashaun Williams as founder and chief investment officer. CEO Steve Cannon, who helps oversee Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Atlanta Falcons, is also part of the group, along with managing partner Jonathan Mariner, the former chief financial officer for MLB.
The shift comes as Cuban continues to chafe at his reduced role with the Mavericks. He sold a majority share of the team to Miriam Adelson, and he did not secure operational control in the contract.
Since then, he has taken the Mavericks owners to court over discovery tied to the new arena plans and has said multiple times that he regrets who he sold the team to. There is also a clause in the original sale that could allow the Adelsons to reduce his stake from 27% to 7%.
Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported that the MLB move is tied in large part to Cuban’s diminished place with the Mavs. Cuban put it plainly in an email to Townsend: “The pivot away from the Mavs was not my choice," Cuban told Townsend in an email.
Asked how much contact he has with the Mavericks now, Cuban said, "I have spoken on the phone once with Masai [Ujiri] for about 120 seconds...
"I’ve had two texts with Masai, both I think maybe 2 or 3-word responses, a couple with no response. Which is fine.
His choice. I absolutely expected it when they hired Masai.
That’s why they hired him. To run basketball."
Cuban has made clear he’d rather still be deeply involved, but the structure of the franchise has changed around him. He was the one who hired Jason Kidd and Nico Harrison in the first place, and both are no longer with the team.
Patrick Dumont then brought in Masai Ujiri as team president and alternate governor, handing him the basketball decision-making role. Ujiri, in turn, hired Mike Schmitz as general manager and Dusty May as head coach.
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