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Mark Cuban Tells Bill Gates What He Really Thinks of Luka Doncic Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Parker Johnson | Last updated Feb 10, 2025 6:22 PM ET

Former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates both know the feeling of watching a major organization they used to be in charge of do business.

For Cuban, that meant watching the Mavericks part ways with franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic on Feb. 1 in a blockbuster NBA trade with the Los Angeles Lakers. Doncic is expected to make his debut for the Lakers on Monday night against the Utah Jazz.

Before launching into a chat with Gates about his new book, "Source Code," Cuban addressed the elephant in the room. He hit Gates with a thinly-veiled question about the Doncic trade in terms that the Microsoft co-founder would understand.

"I wanted to start off with a question," Cuban said on Friday at the event near Dallas, "because you've been in unique situations and maybe you can help."

"If after you left Microsoft, you found out that Steve Ballmer traded Windows 11, the new, hot operating system, for Windows 10, the Hall of Fame but older operating system, what would you do?" he asked.

Cuban was suggesting that Doncic, 25, was Windows 11 in this example. The major piece the Mavericks got back in the trade was All-Star center Anthony Davis, 31.

Cuban, the Mavericks owner at the time, was instrumental in Dallas' decision to acquire Doncic in a deal for Trae Young on 2018 NBA Draft night. It paid off handsomely, as the Slovenian became one of the biggest stars in the league and led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season.

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Who won the trade? Luka for AD is an all-time blockbuster trade. Mark Cuban gave us the behind-the-scenes look at how they decided trade for Luka on Draft Day.
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Davis, "Windows 10" in Cuban's hypothetical, made his Dallas debut on Saturday in painfully frustrating style. After a monster first half, he left the game with a groin injury that will reportedly keep him out "multiple weeks."

The crowd at the Eisemann Center for Gates' event erupted with laughter and applause after hearing Cuban's comparison for the Doncic trade. The interruption brought a brief pause before Gates could answer the question, "What would you do?"