Mark Cuban Says Kyrie Irving Knows Mavericks Are ‘Luka’s Team’

The Dallas owner discussed the candid approach he’s had with the NBA veteran and the team’s young star.

Fresh off coming to terms on a three-year, $126 million deal with Kyrie Irving, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is making sure to put it all out on the table. While he’s raved about Irving numerous times over the past year and come to the 31-year-old guard’s defense, he’s also been candid about another topic: Luka Dončić.

When joining SiriusXM NBA Radio, Cuban discussed that both Dončić and Kyrie know Dallas is “Luka’s team.”

“I think Kyrie has matured to the point now where he knows it’s Luka’s team,” Cuban said. “Luka knows it’s Luka’s team, Kyrie knows it’s Luka’s team, and that’s what’s important. And he’s willing to play more of a shooting guard role, and then when Luka is out, we have a point guard who can score and create for other guys, they’re both players who make their teammates better, and we didn’t have that before.”

It’s a refreshing perspective that shows Irving’s focus on winning, but the key aspect Cuban mentions is the offensive impact the two playmakers can make. Dončić has shouldered a heavy offensive load in his young NBA career, and the hope is that Dallas can utilize Irving both as a point and shooting guard, with the former option taking center stage when Luka is off the floor.