When Mark Cuban sold his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks in 2023, we anticipated a major change. But the organizational overhaul has led to an unexpected clash within the ownership. Cuban, who is still a minority owner of the franchise, has filed a suit against team governor Patrick Dumont, setting the stage for internal friction. The rift is directly related to the Mavericks’ next home, a situation that’s even upset Dallas residents.

According to a report by The Dallas Morning News, the billionaire has filed a legal petition in Dallas County District Court, accusing the franchise’s majority leadership of systematically freezing him out of the process. His lawsuit alleges that Dumont engaged in “adversarial business practices” through this relocation.

The lease of the American Airlines Center, the home of the Mavericks and Dallas Stars for 25 years, is expiring in 2031. Patrick Dumont’s team has already finalized the new site for the team’s relocation. If confirmed, the Mavericks will move out of downtown Dallas to about 10 miles north at the former site of the Valley View Mall. Last month, the Mavericks signed an option agreement to purchase approximately 104 acres in north Dallas for the proposed new arena.

Cuban holds a 27% stake in the organization following his historic majority sale in 2023 to the families of Miriam Adelson and Dumont. He asserts that his business entities remain “contractually entitled to participate” as equity investors in any future stadium ventures.

The legal petition is filed as a pre-suit Rule 202 discovery tool (to conduct discovery, such as the production of documents). It seeks to compel Arena Development Intermediate LLC, an entity tied to Dumont, to disclose internal documents, financing details, and all details of the real estate transaction.

The court filing also revealed a deeply fractured partnership behind the scenes. Cuban’s filings speak of the “handshake” agreement that he remains part of basketball operations after the $3.5 billion sale in 2023. However, the seismic Luka Doncic trade of 2025 revealed that former GM Nico Harrison had exiled Cuban from operations, and he was left out of that trade discussion.

“When I discussed this with Dumont over the phone, he told me: ‘Why would I give you control of a $4 billion asset?'” Cuban alleges in the document.

The internal disconnect perhaps also became obvious when Dirk Nowitzki, who has a 23-foot bronze likeness at ACC, also revealed he is not involved in the Mavs’ decisions.

Harrison was fired in November 2025. Cuban has since taken on a greater role in basketball operations. The Doncic trade has been cited by some observers as an early indicator of tensions within the organization’s front office and ownership structure.

Mark Cuban could give Dallas what it wants by stopping the Mavericks’ relocation

A spokeswoman for the Mavericks organization and Cuban have both declined to issue official public comments regarding the ongoing litigation. Meanwhile, this adds another layer to the Mavericks’ contentious relocation.

The diehard loyalists who are still reeling from losing Doncic to LA did not take the news of the Mavericks’ relocation well. The Mavericks have played in downtown Dallas since entering the NBA as an expansion team in 1980. City leaders want Dumont to reconsider the decision, as the Mavs have been the heartbeat of the local community, supporting multiple restaurants, bars, and businesses in the area.

Meanwhile, Dumont has an ambitious development plan to build a state-of-the-art basketball-only facility at the new site by 2031. That ruled out any plans to renew the lease at ACC.

Their co-tenants, the NHL team Dallas Stars, also have no intention of staying. They have plans to build an exclusive arena in Plano. Locals are furious with both teams for the real estate, economic and emotional upheaval.

However, Cuban is not specifically trying to stop it or support the city’s attempt to keep the Mavs in the ACC. Observers note that the legal push may be an effort by Cuban to safeguard his financial positioning. 

The initial purchase contract for the Mavericks contains a specific clause allowing the Adelson and Dumont families to buy out an additional 20% of Cuban’s remaining 27% share. However, it’s not a straightforward corporate buyout.

The filing asserts that Cuban’s business entities are “contractually entitled” to be involved in the new arena project. Using the legal discovery tool, Cuban’s attorneys could find a breach of the 2023 agreement and effectively halt the relocation until the lawsuit is resolved.

 As the Dallas County judge reviews the request to compel financial disclosures, the public rift highlights a stark philosophical divide over who will ultimately dictate the Mavericks’ financial and structural future.