"Patrick doesn’t know basketball" - NBA insider rips Mavericks owner as Mark Cuban's lack of power in preventing Luka Doncic trade becomes clear

Luka Doncic will return to Dallas for the first time since the trade. It's been months since the Mavericks traded him to the LA Lakers, but this continues to be one of the main talking points in the NBA.

Some people still have a tough time understanding why the Mavs pulled the plug on their 26-year-old superstar. Also, former owner Mark Cuban was reportedly going to stay in control of basketball operations, and given his close relationship with Doncic, it was all the more surprising.

It has been reported that Cuban was kept in the dark about this trade, and he had no veto power once Harrison pulled the trigger.

According to a report by The Athletic, Cuban thought he would still have a strong input, as new owner Patrick Dumont doesn't know the ins and outs of the basketball business:

“It’s a partnership,” Cuban told reporters when he sold the team. “They’re not basketball people. I’m not real estate people. That’s why I did it.”

“Patrick doesn’t know basketball, and he knows he doesn’t,” said one league source.

Dumont reportedly green-lit the trade, and while he's not necessarily versed in the game, he had blind trust in his general manager, Nico Harrison.

“I don’t know how many teams saw the same thing that Nico saw,” a league source not involved in the trade discussions said. “And then, the other pieces, the PJ Washingtons, that he put together. And they go to the fricking finals, right? So, I don’t know what you (Dumont) think of your general manager in your few month’s experience with him. But you probably think that he’s got a gift, that he’s good at this.”

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Next offseason will be crucial for the Mavericks

So far, the early returns make it seem that the LA Lakers won the trade. Doncic is back to his stellar self after returning from injury, and JJ Redick's team is now No. 3 in the West.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, lost Kyrie Irving for the season, and Davis missed some time after sustaining an injury during his debut. They're now No. 10 in the Western Conference standings and will have to go through the Play-In Tournament to make the playoffs.

However, it might be too early to determine the actual outcome of this trade. Nico Harrison will have his work cut out for him in the offseason and every single move he makes will be heavily scrutinized.

It's not easy to replace a player of Doncic's caliber, but maybe landing another star or putting together another trip to the NBA Finals will be enough for the fans to forgive and forget.