Bill Simmons to Mark Cuban on Luka Doncic trade: ‘This is your fault’

Mark Cuban was the public face of the Dallas Mavericks for the better part of two decades. But despite selling the team in 2023, Cuban is back in the spotlight, criticizing the new ownership group’s controversial decision to trade franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Lakers. But longtime NBA commentator and Cuban confidant Bill Simmons is calling out his former friend.

In the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons criticized Cuban for selling the team to new owners who, according to Simmons, were not equipped to handle such a high-profile NBA franchise.

He pointed out that the sale, which he claimed occurred below market value, set off a chain of events that ultimately led to the trade of Doncic. Simmons suggested Cuban could not escape responsibility for the trade, which he called the result of his own “brutal” decision-making.

He compared Cuban’s situation to that of former Seattle Supersonics owner Howard Schultz, who sold the team to an ownership group that eventually relocated it to Oklahoma City.

“His decade is (expletive) brutal,” Simmons said, via Brendon Kleen of Awful Announcing. “Not doing the (Jalen Brunson) extension, selling the team to these schmucks who trade Luka within a year, and then not getting nearly enough for the team. Not to mention all the behind-the-scenes stuff that was going on with that organization. Rough decade for our guy, Cubes.”

Simmons went on to express frustration with Cuban’s attempts to distance himself from the trade.

“And now he’s trying to distance himself desperately from the Luka trade and he’ll do any interview and talk about how he can’t believe (it), and ‘oh my god, I had no idea.’ It’s like, you did sell the team to these dudes,” Simmons said. “This is your fault. Just like it was Howard Schultz’s fault when he sold the Sonics to these dudes from Oklahoma City who were clearly going to move them.

“Cuban sold the Mavericks to these guys and they obviously don’t know what they’re doing and they traded Luka Doncic, which is the most insane thing that’s happened in the NBA this century.”

Simmons also revealed that he had not attempted to book Cuban for an interview since the sale. He suggested that Cuban’s media appearances have been carefully selected, focusing on less challenging platforms like NBA athlete-hosted shows and political talk shows, where he could avoid tough questions about his role in the Mavericks’ downfall.

In addition to the trade, Simmons criticized Cuban for selling the Mavericks at a $4.8 billion valuation, a $1.3 billion discount compared to the Boston Celtics’ recent sale price. Despite owning the American Airlines Center and having a promising young core led by Doncic, Cuban’s decision to sell the team has been scrutinized.

Furthermore, Simmons pointed out that Cuban failed to follow through on his promise to remain involved in basketball operations after the sale. While Cuban still owns about a quarter of the team, he is no longer involved in decision-making.

“Nobody who was actually in basketball circles believed that’s how it was going to be played out,” Simmons said.

As the Mavericks’ fanbase grapples with the aftermath of the trade and the loss of their franchise player, Cuban has sought to position himself as the “good guy.” However, Simmons places much of the blame on Cuban for the state of the team.

“What happened to the Mavs over the course of where they are now, where their fanbase is in a full revolt, I don’t know. He’s gotta get some blame for that,” Simmons said.

Simmons also critiqued Cuban’s post-sale comments.

“Don’t sell the team to these people who obviously didn’t know what they were doing and then be like, ‘I never would have traded him.’ Like, I thought you loved the Mavericks,” Simmons said. “I thought you loved their fans. I thought you loved Luka. Like, that’s crazy. That’s crazy to say that after the fact.

“You have to take some blame. ‘I should have vetted these guys better, I wish I hadn’t sold the team.’ He didn’t do any of it. He’s just been like, ‘Oh I never would have done it.’ Cool. You don’t have Luka Doncic anymore.”