Mark Cuban has initiated legal action in Dallas County, seeking access to detailed records regarding the Dallas Mavericks’ plans to develop a new arena on the former Valley View mall site. Cuban, the team's former majority owner, alleges that current majority owner Patrick Dumont, son-in-law of Miriam Adelson, has excluded him from key decisions and opportunities related to the arena project and other associated developments.
The court filing, submitted earlier this week, requests disclosure of information on the Valley View arena purchase, financing arrangements, and the corporate structure behind the deal. Cuban asserts that he was unaware of the Valley View acquisition until it became public through a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, despite his businesses having contractual rights to participate in the investment. The petition also highlights Cuban’s concern over potential future land acquisitions adjacent to the site, of which he claims to have received no communication.
Cuban’s lawsuit accuses Dumont of engaging in what he terms “adversarial business practices” that have blocked his involvement in the Mavericks’ real estate and casino development endeavors. He further claims that Dumont has sought to leverage control over the Dallas Stars and the American Airlines Center, compounding Cuban’s exclusion from major business opportunities linked to the team. The complaint notes a breakdown in cooperation between the two owners, intensified by the Mavericks’ 2023 trade of star player Luka Doncic—an agreement Cuban said he learned about only minutes before it was finalized.
Since selling a majority stake in the Mavericks to Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont earlier this year, Cuban has retained a 27% minority ownership. He contends that a verbal agreement allowed him to continue managing basketball operations, while Dumont would handle the business side, including plans for a casino resort development connected to the arena. Dumont, however, has stated publicly that he holds final authority over basketball decisions, though he would value Cuban’s input. Cuban’s legal filing asserts that Dumont has instead shifted operational control to the team’s general manager, sidelining Cuban entirely.
The dispute reflects mounting friction between Cuban and the Adelson-Dumont ownership group. Cuban’s petition signals possible litigation to stop or review the Valley View deal before its completion, noting that unwinding the transaction after closing would be difficult or impossible. Meanwhile, representative families of Adelson and Dumont have declined to comment, and Cuban’s legal team has also not responded to requests for statements.
The ongoing conflict has drawn skepticism from some former Mavericks executives. Frank Zaccanelli, a former team president and minority shareholder, described Cuban’s legal claims as a weak position, emphasizing that Cuban knowingly sold majority ownership and control in the franchise. Cuban himself, in a March appearance on a Dallas-area podcast, acknowledged regrets over whom he sold the team to but maintained he does not regret the sale itself.
A court hearing on Cuban’s discovery request regarding the arena project and related financial details is expected soon, potentially influencing the Mavericks’ future development plans at Valley View and beyond.