"I let people down by not being there" - Mark Cuban shoulders blame for Luka Doncic saga on Mavericks while hyping Cooper Flagg as ‘real deal’

It has been nearly seven months since Luka Doncic was unexpectedly traded from the Dallas Mavericks, yet the move still lingers in the minds of fans. Mark Cuban, like many other Dallas fans, remains saddened by Doncic’s departure. He has even taken accountability for it, though he believes the arrival of Cooper Flagg provides a silver lining.

Cuban admitted on the “DLLS Mavs Podcast” on Tuesday that he was partly responsible for the front office’s decision to move on from Doncic because he was not present during the discussions.

“We all were hurt when Luka got traded, me as much as anyone, because I felt like I let people down by not being there,” Cuban admitted. “But what's done is done.”

Despite the regret, Cuban now encourages fans to look ahead, pointing to Flagg’s arrival as a reason for excitement.

“We got Cooper,” Cuban said. “The basketball gods were looking down on us. Coop's the real deal. He's not even 19 years old. He could literally, depending on science, play for the Mavs for 25 years. I'm guessing if we do well and win, those sentiments will change.”

While still representing the Mavericks, Doncic was putting up impressive numbers, averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. After joining the Lakers, he did not miss a beat, producing nearly identical stats with 28.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg and 7.5 apg across 28 regular-season games.

Mark Cuban reveals one scope of improvement for Cooper Flagg

Cooper Flagg has been regarded as one of the most exciting prospects to enter the league in recent history. However, Mark Cuban believes that Flagg can improve his game by becoming a more complete player if he sharpens his long-range shooting.

“Other than maybe improving his 3-point shooting, what can’t he do?” Mark Cuban asked. “When you have a jack of all trades like that, who also has a motor and has toughness to them, is a worker, and is 18 years old.”

For his size, Flagg is not a bad shooter from beyond the arc. At Duke University, he averaged 38.5% from 3-point range, connecting on at least 1.4 shots per game. That figure, however, took a steep dip in the Summer League, where he shot just 21%.

With the Mavericks boasting capable shooters such as Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, D’Angelo Russell and Max Christie, Flagg's three-point shooting won’t be relied upon immediately. This gives him enough time to steadily improve his outside shot while contributing in other areas of the game.