Mark Cuban Feels Knicks Received Light Punishment In Brunson Tampering

Mark Cuban believes that the New York Knicks’ degree of tampering in signing Jalen Brunson away from the Dallas Mavericks should have warranted more punishment than the 2025 second-round pick they were docked.

Speaking on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Cuban was asked specifically about how the Brunson deal played out.

“I don’t know,” Cuban said when asked if he thought the Knicks may have circumvented the cap to acquire Brunson. “I just think there was a lot at play there.”

When Torre asked the question a bit differently, Cuban expanded.

“That’s behind me, more power to JB, more power to everything,” Cuban said. “Was I happy that they only got dinged for a second-round pick? No, it should have been far worse but it is what it is.”

Should Jalen Brunson and the Knicks be worried about an upcoming episode of Mark Cuban Finds Out? pic.twitter.com/qb0CTIdkHz

— Pablo Torre Finds Out (@pablofindsout) October 14, 2025

Cuban Shuts Down Nowitzki Cap Circumvention Conspiracy

Torre also showed Cuban a clip of Bill Simmons speaking about a Dirk Nowitzki documentary and speculating that Cuban had paid a massive sum of money for the documentary as a way to pay Nowitzki outside of the salary cap.

“How he spent Iron Man money on the Dirk doc,” Simmons said. “Here’s 48 million for your doc, who know what he spent but…”

Cuban immediately asked Torre how much he thought Cuban paid. Torre revealed he had done his own digging and learned that Cuban’s company had paid $100,000 for U.S. distribution rights over a period of 10 years.

Torre then outright asked Cuban if the Mavs circumvented the salary cap in 2014.

“No,” Cuban said.

It was an interesting episode to see Cuban hold his ground on why Steve Ballmer and the Los Angeles Clippers should still be considered innocent. He has proclaimed himself “Team Ballmer” and had several entertaining exchanges with Torre on the subject.