The NBA world was in shock when the Dallas Mavericks unexpectedly traded Luka Doncic midseason for Anthony Davis from the Los Angeles Lakers. But perhaps no one was more surprised than Doncic himself, as the Slovenian star was reportedly unaware of the deal.
Even Dallas’ minority owner, Mark Cuban, was caught off guard by the move. He revealed that he had only received a call moments before it was made public.
On Friday, Mark Cuban spoke with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Similar to Cuban, Gates is no longer actively involved in daily operations as he handed over leadership to Steve Ballmer as Microsoft’s CEO. During their conversation, Cuban posed a question to Gates, asking how he would react if he discovered that Ballmer had traded Windows 11.
“I’ve had a rough week. If after you left Microsoft, you found out that Steve Ballmer traded Windows 11—like, the new hot operating system—for Windows 10, the Hall of Fame but older operating system, what would you do?” Cuban said.
Mark Cuban jokes with Bill Gates about the Mavericks trading Luka Doncic:
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 8, 2025
“If after you left the company, they traded Microsoft 11 for Microsoft 10… what would you do?” 💀
(via @persources) pic.twitter.com/CrCYdokSJL
Gates is aware of the scenario that might come with a huge challenge for him. He then responded humorously to express his feelings in the possible scenario. “I might have to hide from the press,” Gates replied.
Mark Cuban’s Loyal Mentality To Keep Luka Doncic Resurfaces
Mark Cuban has consistently shown unwavering loyalty to Luka Doncic since the Slovenian prodigy joined the Mavericks. His commitment to the young star was so strong that in 2020, Cuban made a bold statement about his dedication to keeping Doncic on the team, even humorously suggesting he’d be willing to make drastic personal sacrifices.
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“If I had to choose between my wife and keeping Luka, catch me at my lawyer’s office preparing for a divorce,” Cuban said.
Cuban was pivotal in bringing Doncic to the Mavericks in 2018. However, with ongoing injury concerns surrounding Doncic, the team’s trust in him began to fade. As a minority owner, Cuban was also unable to influence the decisions of the franchise.
