Mavericks owner Mark Cuban to pay employees’ hourly wages through at least March

With the NBA’s suspension of the season announced in the middle of the Mavericks’ home game against the Nuggets last night, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been one of the most visible public figures in reacting to the news.

He was interviewed before the game was even over, expressing shock at the news and committing to doing something for the hourly folks who were going to be most affected by this news. Interviewed again this morning on ESPN’s Get Up, Cuban announced that team employees would continue to be paid full wages for the next four scheduled home games, getting them through March.

The NBA has said that the league will remain suspended for the next 30 days as they re-assess the situation, and presumably Cuban will have some sort of plan soon for what comes next for team employees.

Further in the interview, Cuban also noted that he could see NBA games being played into August, as the suspension of the season presumably has ripple effects on things like the draft, free agency, and Summer League. It hasn’t yet been determined if the league might just go with the current standings and right into the playoffs, which is an option that was apparently on the table.

At present, only two players have tested positive for COVID-19: Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, both on the Utah Jazz. Teams who have played the Jazz recently have been asked to self-quarantine for two weeks. Otherwise, per Mavericks PR, teams have been asked to cease team activities through Monday, March 16th.