Mark Cuban makes stunning admission about hiring Nico Harrison

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Tomer Azarly, ClutchPoints | Last updated Mar 12, 2026 7:10 AM ET

The trajectory of the Dallas Mavericks franchise changed on February 1, 2025, when the franchise traded superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in inexplicable fashion. The Lakers were gifted a 25-year old megastar fresh off his first NBA Finals appearance while the Lakers traded away 31-year old Anthony Davis, 21-year old Max Christie, and a 2029 first round pick.

Dallas has been unable to recover from the brutal trade, and fans maintained that they would not be satisfied until the firing Nico Harrison, which came less than a year after he pulled off the trade.

The Mavs landed No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in last year’s 2025 NBA Draft, and are hopeful to add another piece to their puzzle this summer.

In a recent interview with Adam Friedland on The Adam Friedland Show, former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban spoke about the decision the franchise made to trade Luka Doncic without consulting him.

“Do you regret hiring Nico Harrison? Cuban was asked.

“Yeah sometimes, I do,” Cuban responded. “When we do stupid sh-t like the Luka trade. I miss it because I think the fans have gotten let down, and I think because I kind of let them down. That’s what bothers me the most.

“As much as I loved it, and I still love the Mavs. I’ll always be a Mavs fan, sometimes there’s bigger things to do. I love the Mavs.”

To this day, Mark Cuban says he can still remembers exactly where he was and how the famous Luka Doncic was a done deal.

“I remember exactly where I was,” Cuban added. “I was talking to Governor Andy Beshear of Kentukcy, literally I was at a healthcare event and there were like six or seven politicians there. We were having a beer and I got a text from our general manager and he’s like, ‘hey can you talk?’

“I hired him. Yeah, in hindsight now, it was a mistake. He was like, ‘Mark call me,’ and I did and when he told me about it, I thought he was asking me as opposed to telling me and he’s like, ‘no, it’s done.’ And I was like what the fck?!”

Mark Cuban does retain a smaller ownership stake after seeing off the majority once prior to the Doncic trade. At 23-41 on the season, the Dallas Mavericks are the third worst team in the Western Conference and are hopeful to be able acquire pieces that best complement one another.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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