“If I had to choose between my wife and keeping Luka on the Mavs, catch me at my lawyer’s office prepping for a divorce.” Mark Cuban said in 2020 when he had the majority of the Mavs ownership. Fast forward five years, Doncic is now a Laker. The Mavericks sent him along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, to L.A. in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. Once this trade was official, Mark was as shocked as we all are. Chandler Parsons, a former Mavs star, revealed, “I texted [Mark Cuban], and I said, ‘I’m so confused.’ He wrote back, ‘That makes two of us.’ While Cuban himself has not said anything on this mega trade, the former Mavs owner let Charles Barkley do the talking.

Taking to Instagram, the Mavericks’ former owner reposted Chuck’s analysis, seemingly co-signing his take. “OKC (is) my favorite to win this thing, but, man, the Dallas Mavericks, they might have just become the second-best team in the Western Conference,” Barkley said. That’s quite the endorsement for a team that just lost its franchise superstar.

Chuck also elaborated on why he believes Dallas still remains a serious threat. “I think Denver needs to make a trade because they need to get some bench help,” he explained. “The Rockets are so young. I’m not going to take the Rockets beating the Mavs in a seven-game series. The Memphis Grizzlies, I like their team, but man, Dallas, this is going to be a very fun thing to watch. OKC, they’re my favorite to win this thing, but man, the Dallas Mavericks.”

But who is the real winner in this trade? Once again, Sir Charles has the answer. While he was optimistic about an Anthony Davis-led Mavericks squad, he didn’t sugarcoat it—only championships determine a winner. “I think both teams have to win a championship to say they won the trade,” Barkley stated. “The only way you can win this trade is if you win a championship.” No pressure, right?

Chuck explained that Dallas has a “three-to-five-year” window to make it happen while the Lakers could have a “10-year window” with Doncic at the helm. However, unlike Barkley, the former Mavericks owner didn’t comment on that.

Mark Cuban stays cryptic

For over two decades, Mark Cuban was the face behind every major move the Dallas Mavericks made. Whether it was a blockbuster trade or a coaching change, his fingerprints were all over it. But things are different now. With Cuban no longer the majority owner, the shocking trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers left Mavs fans asking the same question: Who pulled the trigger on this?

For starters, it wasn’t Cuban. While he still holds a minority stake in the team, he confirmed to WFAA that he wasn’t involved in the decision. Cuban stepped away from day-to-day basketball operations after selling his controlling interest to the Adelson family. So, while he remains a presence, he’s no longer the one calling the shots.

So, who was? According to longtime NBA insider Marc Stein, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison made the bold move. “Harrison made the call to abruptly change the direction of the franchise with one of the most stunning trades in league history,” Stein reported. That means the Mavs’ front office, not Cuban, decided to part ways with their franchise superstar.