"He can return as conquering hero" - Jason Whitlock predicts Mark Cuban reclaiming Mavericks majority ownership after Luka Doncic trade chaos

As the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade shook the basketball world this weekend, the Dallas Mavericks, Doncic's former team, drew heavy criticism. Analyst Jason Whitlock predicted a direction for the Mavericks after trading away its franchise player.

Whitlock shared his thoughts about the Doncic trade in a "Fearless with Jason Whitlock" episode on YouTube on Monday. He said that current Mavericks majority owner Miriam Adelson cared about gambling more than basketball. The analyst predicted that Mark Cuban would return to the franchise to reclaim the majority interest.

"Miriam Adelson doesn't care about basketball," Whitlock said (Timestamp: 48:12). "She wants this gambling thing. Once she gets it, watch. Mark Cuban will return as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks."

Technically, Cuban is still a minority owner with a 27% stake in the franchise. Adelson and her company, the Las Vegas Sands, hold the 67% controlling interest.

Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison also caught a few strays from Whitlock.

"Nico Harrison, who's running the Mavericks, he worked at Nike for a long time. I think 19 years," Whitlock said (Timestamp: 48:49). "His claim to fame was he was tight with Kobe Bryant, and he was one of Kobe Bryant's handlers. But his real claim to fame at Nike was blowing their recruitment of Steph Curry."

Whitlock said Harrison blew Nike's crucial recruitment pitch to four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry. The analyst said that it was the most embarrassing thing ever with the giant shoe and apparel brand.

"He's the perfect kind of guy that you install to oversee the demolition of your franchise." Whitlock added (Timestamp: 49:56). "He's disposable."

Due to this, Whitlock predicted a Cuban return and that the entrepreneur would be labeled as the "conquering hero."

"Mark Cuban can return as the conquering hero and put real basketball people," Whitlock said (Timestamp: 50:06). "'We lost our way and now, I'm the hero coming back to re-save the Dallas Mavericks.'"

On Dec. 28, 2023, the NBA Board of Governors approved the sale of the Mavericks' controlling interest to the widow of late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and their son-in-law Patrick Dumont. Dumont serves as the president and chief operating officer of the Adelson's casino company and is also currently the Mavericks governor.

Mark Cuban's response to the Luka Doncic trade

Several reports have indicated that Mark Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks minority owner, was not involved in the high-profile deal that traded away its young superstar, Luka Doncic.

Dallas Morning News' Brad Townsend wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the billionaire responded with a four-letter reply when he asked Cuban for his reaction to the trade.

"MFFL," Cuban told Townsend.

"MFFL" stands for "Mavericks fan for life."

In 2018, Dallas acquired Doncic when Cuban was still the majority owner. The businessman has repeatedly shown fondness for the five-time All-NBA first-team selection. He considered Doncic the cornerstone of the Mavericks franchise before being traded away on Saturday.