"There's zero truth to that" - NBA insider debunks rumors of Mavericks abandoning fans for Las Vegas relocation

One month ago, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world when they traded Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers. In the weeks that followed, there have been numerous reports leading to what led to this franchise-altering decision. Now far enough removed from the initial awe of the deal, one insider laid the biggest conspiracy theory to rest.

In 2023, Mark Cuban sold his controlling stake in the Mavs to the Adelson and Dumont families. Aside from previously being minority owners of the NBA franchise, they were most known for their success in the casino world.

After the Mavericks traded Doncic, speculation rose regarding the new ownership. Some proposed a theory that they made the trade in hopes of tanking the value of the franchise. In turn, they'd be able to relocate the Mavs to Las Vegas.

On Tuesday afternoon, NBA insider Shams Charania joined Pat McAfee on his talk show to discuss the latest regarding the Mavs. He also touched on the conspiracy theory of them relocating, firmly stating that there's no truth to it.

"That conspiracy theory that you're taling about," Charania said. "I've seen that conspiracy online, to my knowledge, there is zero truth to that. That's just not a real reality."

Things continue to unravel in Dallas, as news emerged Tuesday that Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the season due to an ACL tear.

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NBA insider hints that the Mavericks could be without Anthony Davis for the rest of the season

With Kyrie Irving getting injured Monday, the Dallas Mavericks find themselves without both All-Star talents. According to one NBA insider, this could be the reality for the team for the remainder of this season.

Anthony Davis was the key piece the Mavs landed in return for Luka Doncic. He was expected to keep the franchise in a position to contend, but things quickly went off the rails. AD put together a dominant debut against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8 but ended up leaving the game early due to injury. He's yet to return to action, missing Dallas' last nine matchups.

In his interview with Pat McAfee, Shams Charania gave a rather discouraging update regarding Davis. He said that there's a chance that he might not be back on the floor again for the Mavericks this season.

"I think they're going to have some very hard conversations," Charania said. "It's not out of the realm of possibility that one game was the last time we've seen Anthony Davis this season."

With Irving out of the equation now, shutting down Davis might be the best course of action for the Mavs. It's clear that they aren't going to contend this season, so they should allow their star duo extended time to recover physically to be ready for 2026 and beyond.