Donnie Nelson's lawsuit vs. Mavericks: Mark Cuban unjustly axing former GM in 2022 explored

Former general manager for the Dallas Mavericks, Donnie Nelson and his lawsuit against Mark Cuban's team is scheduled to go to trial. According to ESPN, the trial will happen on Dec. 10. Nelson was a longtime general manager for the Mavs from 2006 until 2021.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier that the former general manager won't be backing down on his lawsuit against his former team. The son of the Hall of Fame basketball coach had a good eye for talent as he helped the Mavs recruit Steve Nash and current All-Star Luka Doncic.

The lawsuit dates back to 2022, according to sources. Nelson said that he was fired by the organization as retaliation for his report. According to him, Cuban's "right-hand person" had reportedly sexually harassed and assaulted the former general manager's nephew during the 2020 All-Star Weekend in Chicago, Illinois.

Nelson reportedly did not learn what happened to his family member until the summer of 2020. According to the former GM, the Mavs "quickly and quietly settled" the claims. This was an attempt to "sweep it under the rug."

The Mavs have denied the reports that Nelson was wrongfully fired from his position. Surprisingly, they claim that the former assistant coach made threats to reveal the sexual orientation of Cuban's chief of staff.

The threats were allegedly made if his contract demands were not met as the organization and the former executive were in the middle of a negotiation to extend his contract.

Additionally, several factors led to his termination, according to the Mavs. This includes "poor job performance," the filed reports state.

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Mark Cuban denied all allegations in 2022

According to the lawsuit from Nelson, Mark Cuban allegedly offered the former executive $52 million to withdraw a wrongful termination claim. The lawsuit also includes that the former general manager should sign a confidentiality statement related to the alleged harassment.

It didn't last long until Cuban decided to give their side of the story. According to him, the allegations included in the lawsuit are lies.

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"Everything in that filing is a lie," Cuban wrote in an email to ESPN in 2022.

"We did multiple complete investigations and the only person that did not live up to the standards of the Dallas Mavericks was Mr. Nelson. He was fired as a result. He was well aware of the investigation. He refused to fully participate. I will say it again, everything he said is a lie.

Jason Lutin, Cuban's "right-hand man" in the lawsuit, also denied the claims made by Nelson.

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"It's a complete lie and I defer to Mavs to comment and who have already dealt with this matter," Lutin said.

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