Mark Cuban is in talks to become the majority owner of the Texas Legends of the G League.

The Legends have been owned by an ownership group led by Donnie Nelson and Evan Wyly since they were founded in 2010.

The Mavericks would become the 23rd NBA team to own a majority stake in its G League affiliate. 

The Mavericks will sign Antonius Cleveland to a two-way deal.

Cleveland had been playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors of the G League.

Dallas will release Gian Clavell to create a roster spot for Cleveland.

Dirk Nowitzki will make his decision on whether to continue his playing career beyond the current season based on how his body feels not on the Dallas Mavericks' record.

Nowitzki has said he hopes to play at least one more season.

"It's how the body feels," Nowitzki told ESPN.

"I'd love to play every game. I'm not sure how realistic it is, but that's how I approached the season. I want to be out there, want to move and want to be out there with the guys. We'll just have to sit and relax [after] I play through the season and see how I feel. Probably that decision won't be made until the summer."

The Mavs hold a team option for the second season of the two-year, $10 million deal Nowitzki signed over the summer. 

"I hope so," Mark Cuban said when asked whether he believes Nowitzki will opt to play next season at age 40. "I think there's a really good chance he is [coming back], because he wants to break the record for years with one team and be that one guy. Not many people have that opportunity.

"He's still having fun," Cuban added.

LeBron James clarified his comments about how the New York Knicks made a mistake in drafting Frank Ntilikina instead of Dennis Smith Jr.

“I wasn’t even thinking about (Ntilikina) when I was talking about Dennis Smith," said James. "I was thinking about just the Knicks organization and Phil Jackson at the time, and Dennis Smith’s talent and (his fit with Kristaps) Porzingis and that’s all I was thinking about.”

James also said he doesn't have any issues with the Knicks' organization.

"I'm a fan of the game as well. It's great when the Knicks, the Celtics and the Lakers are great all at the same time. It's the best for our league."

Nerlens Noel was a DNP-Coach's Decision in the Dallas Mavericks' 111-104 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Rick Carlisle said Salah Mejri has earned playing time over Noel at this point.

"Look, minutes have to be earned," Carlisle said. "At this point, if it's between him and Salah, Salah has earned the minutes. There's no doghouse here. There just isn't. It's pretty simple: You compete, and if you earn minutes, you get minutes. And you've got to compete to keep them, because it's a competitive situation."

Noel said he wasn't bothered by sitting in the game and is trying to stay ready.

"I'm good, I'm good," Noel said. "I'm a very self-confident player. I know I can go in there and change games. When my number is called, I'll do just that and help some winning efforts. That's all my play style is about, is just winning. When I'm called on, I'll bring my winning effort."

Noel turned down a four-year, $70 million contract offer by the Mavericks this offseason.

LeBron James was impressed by Dennis Smith Jr. and believes the New York Knicks made a mistake passing on him to let him slide to the Dallas Mavericks.

The Knicks selected Frank Ntilikina eighth overall in front of the Mavericks at No. 9.

"The Knicks passed on a really good one, and Dallas got the diamond in the rough," James said. "He should be a Knick. That's going to make some headlines, but he should be a Knick. Dallas is definitely, I know they're excited that he didn't go there."

The Cavs' next game is Monday night against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden.

Ntilikina was the final draft pick of Phil Jackson, who made insensitive comments about JAmes last November. Jackson characterized James' business associates as a "posse."

Draymond Green declined to comment further on remarks made by Mark Cuban. Cuban said Green owed the NBA an apology for suggesting the term "owner" has a bad connotation.

"Nobody can prep me," said Green. "I'm going to always say what I want. Ain't no prepping me. At all. Ever. Don't ever believe that. Can't prep me for nothing. Don't ever think that.

"I do live in America. However, you can't prep me for nothing. Don't ever think I've been prepped for an interview. Don't work like that."

"I understand both sides," Andre Iguodala, the vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, told ESPN. "I think Mark Cuban has the right to defend himself because he has a majority stake in an NBA team. But he's done a great job of carrying that position with integrity, with respect, with equality to everyone who's involved with his organization. So, I understand because he's removed himself so far from the other incident that owners have gotten themselves in trouble with references to American historical events. So, I understand that he has to defend himself, but at the same time, he's not able to understand what it's like to be an African-American and certain terms being thrown around and how we feel about them."

Mark Cuban took offense to comments made by Draymond Green about the use of the word "owner" in sports.

Green was responding to comments from Bob McNair of the Houston Texans, who said the NFL "can't have inmates running the prison."

"For starters, let's stop using the word owner and maybe use the word Chairman," Green wrote. "To be owned by someone just sets a bad precedent to start. It sets the wrong tone. It gives one the wrong mindset."

"For him to try to turn it into something it's not is wrong," Cuban told ESPN. "He owes the NBA an apology. I think he does, because to try to create some connotation that owning equity in a company that you busted your ass for is the equivalent of ownership in terms of people, that's just wrong. That's just wrong in every which way.

"People who read that message and misinterpret it -- make it seem like we don't do everything possible to help our players succeed and don't care about their families and don't care about their lives, like hopefully we do for all of our employees -- that's just wrong."

Cuban attempted to explain the difference.

"We own equity. We don't own people," Cuban said. "And there's a big difference. This is a country where we have corporations, and you put up your money and buy equity. E-Q-U-I-T-Y. It translates into shares of stock. People who bust their ass and work hard and get a little bit lucky have enough money to buy enough shares of stock to buy a company.

"To try to turn it into something that it's not is ridiculous. Draymond can trash-talk on the court, but when he comes into our world, it doesn't fly. ... I guess it's because he went to Michigan State and didn't take any business classes, but you own equity. When you own a team, you own equity, shares of stock. That's called ownership. Tell him if he wants to take classes at Indiana's business school, I'll even pay for his classes and we'll help him learn that stuff."

Cuban's argues players are treated as people, not property.

"If you want to talk about slavery and everything that's important about it and some people who make comments and don't respect other individuals, great, let's have that conversation about people who don't respect others," Cuban said. "But don't try to suggest that because we have a team and the nomenclature is 'owners' because we own shares of stock, own equity, that it's analogous to slavery. That's just as bad [as McNair's comment]. It's just as bad.

"Don't ask me. Ask anybody who's ever played for me. Ask anybody who's ever worked for me. I'm far from perfect, but that's certainly not a connotation that you're going to hear from anybody that I've ever been associated with. I've been brutally honest about racism and how we have to work hard to overcome it, but to suggest that an NBA team is some sort of ... I'm not even going to go there."