Did Dallas Mavericks Trading Luka Doncic Have Anything to Do with Texas Sports Betting?

On Saturday, February 1, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the entire sports world when they agreed to trade 25-year-old superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. And in the time since, many are starting to wonder whether the move can be traced back to the push for Texas sports betting and casino legalization.

To be sure, what we’re about to discuss is pure conjecture. But enough experts in the field have talked about how the Luka Dončić trade might relate back to sports betting in Texas that theory is worth considering.

Heck, considering any and all angles of this move should be considered an obligation. That is how inexplicable it remains. Sports franchises do not willingly give away generational megastars in their prime. Especially not ones who just led the organization to the NBA Finals. 

Furthermore, the reasons given for the move by Mavs general manager Nico Harrison as well as team governor Patrick Dumont don’t quite line up with reason. They have cited everything from Luka’s spotty work ethic and conditioning to not wanting to pay his next contract to being worried that he himself wouldn’t want to sign another contract with the team. 

Complicated still, Dončić has so far refrained from rebuking reports. He has reiterated he never asked for the trade. Both Harrison and Dumont have basically confirmed as much. So, too, have the Lakers. Their general manager, Rob Pelinka, says he was shocked when the Mavs initiated trade talks unsolicited. 

Confused? That’s the point. This entire sage makes no sense. Which is why it’s worth asking: Could Dallas’ logic really have something to do with the Texas sports betting agenda?

Dallas Mavericks Owners are Key Figures in Texas Sports Betting and Casino Legalization

This theory is most publicly being pushed by Texas appellate lawyer Christopher Kratovil. He believes there’s a chance the Mavs owners are sending a message to state officials currently not supporting Texas sports betting and casino legalization. 

For those who do not know, the NBA franchise is now controlled by the Adelson family, who purchased the team from former majority owner Mark Cuban. The Adelsons are also the majority stakeholders in Las Vegas Sands Corp, a massive casino and resort operator. Their purchase of the Mavs is seen as part of a larger vision to bring a destination resort casino to the Dallas area. To help actualize this vision, they have also bought massive amounts of land in the surrounding area of where the Mavericks play. The goal is to have a huge resort-style area that features everything from casinos and hotels to entertainment venues like Mavs games. 

Of course, the legalization of Texas sports betting and commercial casinos is paramount to this vision. As such, the Adelson family is pushing heavily for lawmakers to amend gaming laws in The Lone Star State. 

However, even as attempts to create Texas sports betting accounts continue to rise, the Senate keeps showing resistance to the idea. The opposition is wide-spread and rooted in a variety of reasons. 

Some continue to hold out hope Texas sports betting will be legalized during the current round of legislative meetings. Industry insiders generally think this is a pipe dream, though. And given how much money the Adelsons have already invested in their long-term vision, they could be looking for a way to move the needle.

Here is How the Luka Dončić Trade Factors into It All

This is where the Luka Dončić trade enters the equation. Aiden Kauffman of Athlon Sports lays out Kratovil’s theory:

“Kratovil's analysis, drawing from his experience following the Mavericks since their inaugural 1980 season, suggests the Luka trade could be a calculated move to create leverage. By trading away a 25-year-old generational talent for an aging Anthony Davis, the ownership group may be deliberately weakening the team's long-term outlook to make threats of relocation to Las Vegas more credible.The immediate impact has been significant. The Mavericks have lost 700,000 Instagram followers, attendance at the American Airlines Center is declining, and fan morale has hit an all-time low. This deteriorating situation could strengthen the owners' negotiating position for the 2027 legislative session.”

Many in the field have dismissed this as an outlandish city. For starters, teams can also see noticeable drops in followings and ticket sales after controversial moves and when entering rebuilds. On top of that, Luka is an international superstar. Fans from his home country of Slovenia follow him and not the Mavs. They will abandon ship for the Lakers now.

And yet, this is once again sort of the point. Trading Luka is not just a bad basketball decision. It is a terrible business decision. Heck, the Mavs could win a championship this year, and the trade would still look bad from a longer-term business and basketball perspective.

At minimum, this theory should not be entirely written off. Sure, corporations do not tend to intentionally hurt their bottom line. But in this case, the Adelsons’ primary business isn’t basketball or the Mavs. It is casinos—including sports betting.

The Biggest Hang-Up in This Texas Casino and Sports Betting Theory

In reality, this could be them prioritizing their primary source of revenue, even if it results in a short-term hit for one of their secondary sectors. And look, if it works out, they will be financially rewarded in spaces. The popularity of online sports betting in the United States is through the roof right now. Add destination casinos to the equation, and we are talking about billions upon billions of dollars in potential revenue over the longer haul. A company as big and profitable as Las Vegas Sands Corp can absolutely stomach a few years’ worth of poor revenue from its NBA profit stream. 

Whether this is their actual motive remains to be seen. We will likely have to wait until 2027 legislative sessions to find out. We will have more information on how the Mavs operate post-Luka by that time, and it’d be then that the company is most likely to apply this form of leverage.

The biggest hang-up in all of this: The threat to move the Mavs out of Dallas has to be realistic. Relocating a franchise is difficult. And while the NBA wants to have a team in Las Vegas, Dallas is among the league’s most premier markets. The board of governors may block any attempt by the Adelsons to relocate the Mavs.

Still, this is nevertheless a situation worth monitoring. Who knows, it might come up during the inevitable Texas sports betting talks projected to go nowhere this year. And make no mistake, the longer sports betting remains illegal in The Lone Star State, the more steam—and, potentially, merit—to this theory.

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