Mark Cuban could be in the market to buy back the Dallas Mavericks. The question comes down to whether or not the Adelson family is willing to sell.

Cuban purchased the Mavericks in January 2000 for $285 million and transformed a mediocre franchise into a championship contender. Under his watch, Dallas won 69% of its regular season games in his first decade, captured the 2011 NBA title with Dirk Nowitzki, and reached the Finals again in 2024 behind Luka Doncic. The franchise value exploded from $285 million to roughly $3.5 billion when Cuban sold approximately 73% of his stake to Miriam Adelson's family in December 2023.

Cuban's rationale seemed sound at the time. He recognized the NBA's competitive landscape was shifting toward real estate and entertainment complexes, and he wasn't interested in becoming a developer. He envisioned partnering with Las Vegas Sands (owned by the Adelsons) to build a casino-arena-resort in Dallas. The problem? Texas gambling legalization is nowhere close to passing the state senate.

What really turned Cuban's exit into his biggest regret happened on February 2, 2025. Luka Doncic, the franchise's best player since Dirk, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in a deal that sent Anthony Davis and draft picks to Dallas. Cuban wasn't consulted. He learned of the trade moments before it was finalized. "If I had any influence, the trade wouldn't happen," he said months later.

Davis played just 29 games before injuries derailed his Dallas tenure, and GM Nico Harrison was fired after a 3-8 start to the current season. The total return for Doncic, who's now averaging 32.8 points per game for the Lakers? Max Christie, Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Marvin Bagley III, and scattered draft picks. The Lakers sit at 32-21. The Mavericks sit at 19-34.

On February 9, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that a Dallas-based investor group has expressed serious interest in partnering with Cuban to buy the Mavericks back. While no formal negotiations exist and the Adelsons insist they have no plans to sell, the timing is intruiging.

The NBA is planning to expand to Las Vegas and Seattle, with expansion fees estimated between $4 billion to $7 billion per team. The Adelsons bought the Mavericks partly to anchor a casino development in Texas, but with that completely stalled, selling the franchise could generate the capital to pursue a Vegas expansion franchise in their home market.

Cuban would need approximately $3.7 billion to buy back the 73% stake he sold for $2.5 billion less than two years ago. Whether he acts before losing leverage, and whether the NBA's Vegas expansion is the catalyst for the Adelsons to pivot, will determine if this becomes the most dramatic ownership reversal in NBA history.

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⭐️ All-Star Weekend Betting Guide

The NBA All-Star Weekend tips off in Los Angeles this weekend and pits the USA against The World in a new round robin format. Let's break down who should win the Three-Point Contest and why Team World's frontcourt creates a mathematical edge in the new tournament format.

The Three-Point Contest: Fading the Big Names

The 2026 field features former champions Damian Lillard and Devin Booker, but the numbers tell you to look elsewhere. Lillard is a two-time defending champion but hasn't played a single minute of NBA action this season while recovering from injury.

Success in this contest requires balance. Players shoot from five racks, two in the corners. Corner efficiency provides the floor for a high score, while non-corner shooting determines the ceiling. Booker won in 2018 but is shooting just 31% from deep this year, ranking near the bottom of this field in efficiency. Donovan Mitchell leads the NBA with 183 total threes made, but his 38% efficiency is lower than Murray or Portis.

Jamal Murray to Win 3-Point Contest (+600 on FanDuel)

Jamal Murray is the only player in the contest ranking in the top 15 at his position for both corner threes (46%) and non-corner threes (43%). His 43% overall mark is elite, and he has 157 total makes this season. At +600 on FanDuel, Murray offers the best combination of balance and value.

Bobby Portis to Make 3-Point Finals (+320 on FanDuel)

The sharp dark horse play is Bobby Portis. Portis leads all participants in overall three-point percentage at 45% and is absolutely lethal from the corners at 53%. In a contest where 40% of the shots are in the corners, Portis has the highest statistical floor. He's the most efficient shooter in this field right now, and fading the big names like Lillard and Booker in favor of the guy hitting 45% of his shots is the smart play.

All-Star Tournament: Team World's Frontcourt Mismatch

The 75th NBA All-Star Game is breaking tradition with a three-team round-robin tournament featuring 12-minute games where point differential serves as a tiebreaker. Team USA Stripes brings the veteran Hall of Fame core with Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, but they've lost LeBron James and Stephen Curry to injury, significantly impacting their depth. Team USA Stars represents the next generation with Anthony Edwards, Scottie Barnes, and Chet Holmgren providing elite two-way versatility and the highest defensive effort in the field.

Team World to Win Tournament (+160 on FanDuel)

Team World enters as the statistical favorite for one simple reason: you cannot teach the height and skill combination of a Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Karl-Anthony Towns frontcourt. Despite losing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo to injury, their size advantage creates a mathematical edge in 12-minute sprints.

Wembanyama has publicly stated his intent to bring "Game 7 intensity" to the Intuit Dome. Combined with Jokic's playmaking and Luka Dončić's scoring, Team World has the highest offensive ceiling in the tournament. In short games, their ability to dominate the glass and protect the rim while shooting from the perimeter limits USA teams to one-and-done possessions.

 🌲 The Pine Line

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🏁 Daytona 500 Preview and Best Bets

by Ed Egros 👉️ Follow on X @EdWithSports

It’s time to wave the green flag for the start of NASCAR’s 78th season with the running of the Great American Race: the Daytona 500.

The starting lineup might matter a lot in other races, but here, four of the past six winners started the race 17th or worse, and not since 2000 has the man in the pole position gone on to take the checkered flag.

New This Season

Perhaps the biggest change fans will notice is how the season-long champion will be crowned.  The top 16 drivers in points qualify for The Chase, ultimately scrapping the “win-and-you’re-in” playoff format.  

This change matters because we should see drivers clamor for stage points instead of just winning, which could lead to more wrecks, which leads us to my first favorite bet:

O7.5 Caution Flags (-190)

The superspeedway is notorious for “the big one”, collecting as much carnage as you’ll see in the sport.  Last year had eight cautions and typically the Daytona 500 gives us seven to ten, so the changes suggest we could have even more than what’s typical, so 7.5 seems like a safe play.  

As for which drivers to bet on and what manufacturer should win, here’s what Jaxon’s AI tools offer:

Christopher Bell to Win (20/1)

No matter if you’re betting the Daytona 500 or any other race, remember this: average finish position is useless.

That’s because you’re only taking into account where a driver was during one lap…the final lap.  It does not take into account where the driver was running the other hundreds of laps.  Besides, if a driver wrecked, those can skew average finishing position.

What’s better is average running position, or where a driver was during every lap.  Over his last 15 races, Christopher Bell ranked fifth in average running position (10.77).  He may not have won the Championship, but he was on a heater.

Also, even if you do care about how a driver performs during the final stage, Bell was in contention at last year’s Daytona 500 before a collision with Cole Custer dashed his hopes.  It’s a great payout for a driver who’s as formidable as anyone.

Ty Gibbs to Win (35/1)

If you’re looking for a longshot, how about the driver of the No. 54 Toyota!  

Last season, Ty Gibbs led for 304 laps, the most of any driver without a win.  Specifically on superspeedways, Gibbs ranked fourth in laps led.  At some point, he should break through.

First and foremost at the Daytona 500: do not get caught in a melee.  If you can hover around the front in the final laps and not drive too aggressively, you probably have as good of a chance as any.  Gibbs checks a lot of boxes to do just that.

Manufacturer to Win: Ford (+145)

If you look at average racing position on superspeedways last season, the top six finishers were all Fords.  Joey Logano, Austin Cindric and Josh Berry led the way.

Chevrolet does have an updated car body and the last three wins at this race, but it might take time for drivers to adjust to it.  When it comes to Team Penske and even darkhorse Front Row Motorsports, Ford has enough drivers with great teams and guidance for one of them to take the checkered flag.  

Still not sure what to bet on?

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