Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban makes his thoughts clear on potential NBA expansion

While he is no longer the majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban is still a prominent figure within the NBA. In the midst of the All-Star break, the longtime owner and entrepreneur gave his thoughts on expansion.

With the NBA continuing to grow its fanbase and see record numbers across the board, expansion has been a common topic of discussion. Between the influx of international talent and the pool of players in the G-League, many feel the league could easily add more teams into the mix.

In a recent column for The Ringer, longtime NBA analyst Howard Beck asked numerous figures around the league about the idea of expansion. Mark Cuban was among those he reached out to, which led to a response from the Mavs minority owner. With the vast pool of talent across the league, he is a firm supporter of NBA expansion.

“The talent levels are higher than they have ever been,” Cuban said in an email. “So I have no issues about dilution. … I’m all for expansion.”

Cuban has been connected to the Mavericks for over two decades now. Back in January of 2000, he became majority owner of the franchise after purchasing it for $285 million. Cuban would hold this position until 2023 when he decided to sell his controlling stake to the Adelson and Dumont families.

While he still owns a part of the Mavericks after the sale, Cuban is no longer part of the decision-making when it comes to the on-court product.

---

Mark Cuban once teased owning expansion team with Shaquille O'Neal and LeBron James

Not only is Mark Cuban open to the NBA expanding, but he'd be willing to play his part in making it happen too. A little over a year ago, he teased the idea of getting back into ownership with a pair of high-profile partners.

Back in October of 2024, Cuban was a guest on Shaquille O'Neal's The Big Podcast. During the interview, the Hall of Fame center asked if he would consider being partners with him on an expansion franchise. LeBron James was another person who was tossed in this hypothetical venture.

Seeing that Mark Cuban is still a part owner of the Mavericks, he would have to get the okay from his current partners. That said, if they allowed it, he said he'd be willing to work alongside Shaq and LeBron with an expansion team.

"It was Shaq, yeah I would look at making a comeback," Cuban said. "We get me, you, LeBron, we might have something there."

LeBron's name was mentioned because he too has his sights set on ownership in the future. The LA Lakers star has stated on numerous occasions he'd like to own an NBA team in Las Vegas if they expanded there.

If the league were looking to make a big splash with a new team, having this trio as the primary owners would certainly provide a huge boost.