Billionaire Mark Cuban Couldn’t Let Go $697,340 Owed to 3X NBA Champ, Who Served Luka Doncic and Co Wholeheartedly

The Dallas Mavericks have decided to go All-in on the newly formed superstar duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Despite a disappointing result in the 2022-23 season, Dallas re-signed Kyrie to a 3-year $126 million contract, giving the Former NBA champion more time to work with Slovenian guard Luka Doncic. Even though Dallas has two of the most lethal offensive players in the NBA, Cuban needs to surround Kyrie and Luka with solid role players who can work on both ends of the floor.

Dallas signed 3-time NBA champion JaVale McGee last year on a 3-year $20 million contract. But soon after the season started, Head Coach Jason Kidd realized McGee was not the right guy to start in the center position. The 7-footer fell out of rotation, playing only 42 games for Dallas last season. Dallas waived JaVale McGee last Tuesday with two years remaining on his contract. McGee was owed around $11.7 million by the team, but the business genius Mark Cuban saved the most he could on that deal.

Mark Cuban saves sizable money in JaVale McGee deal

The 35-year-old center was set to make $11.7 million from his Dallas contract over the next 5 years. However, Mark Cuban was able to get a $697,340 set-off on the amount owed to the 3-time Champion. In a tweet by NBA insider Bobby Marks, he reported that the waived amount will be reduced and divided from McGee’s Dallas salary over the next 5 years, giving him a pay cut of $139,468 each year. That is a sizable pay cut for the veteran center as he is in the later stages of his career and does not make superstar money.

After waiving JaVale McGee, Dallas is in desperate need of a reliable center that can complement the duo of Kyrie and Luka. If Dallas wants to make some noise next season, they will need to make some serious moves to improve their current roster. With Luka and Kyrie in their prime, the Mavericks need to make the most out of this pair in the next three years.

Javale McGee is ready to light the beam

Days after being waived by Dallas, JaVale McGee found a new home as he signed with the Sacramento Kings on a 1 year $3.1 million deal. The Kings had a historic season last year, ending their 16-year playoff drought. Under the leadership of Coach of the Year Mike Brown, the Kings finished 3rd in the West with a 48-34 record. With their stars Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox playing at an elite level, the Kings have a chance to build something great in Sacramento.

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The addition of JaVale McGee will provide some veteran presence and championship experience in the young roster of Sacramento. McGee was a key player in the Lakers’ 2020 championship run and helped Stephen Curry and Co. win back-to-back rings in 2017 and 2018.

After taking a $697,340 hit from the team that cut him, JaVale McGee will look to come back stronger with Sacramento. They aim to go further into the playoffs than last season and “Light The Beam” again.

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