DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban won't let his players compete in the World Championships unless a dispute with the NBA over insurance coverage is solved.

"I'm not willing to accept a risk of millions and millions of dollars just so our guys can play in this tournament,'' Cuban told The Associated Press on Saturday.

NBA deputy commissioner Russ Granik told The Dallas Morning News in Saturday's editions that he expects the Mavericks to be represented in the championships.

"Our view is that the Mavericks don't have the right to withhold consent,'' Granik said.

Cuban said the NBA's interpretation of "adequate'' does not cover total contract value, leaving team owners at high financial risk of long-term injuries during the Aug. 29-Sept. 8 World Championships in Indianapolis.

"We have a significant disagreement with the league about what constitutes adequate insurance,'' he said. "I am happy to let our guys play, but not at the expense of subsidizing the tournament because they won't invest in adequate insurance.''

The newspaper reported that it appears Cuban could only officially deny permission to would-be German teammates Dirk Nowitzki and Shawn Bradley, because the German Basketball Federation has struggled to secure what the NBA deems as "adequate'' coverage.

Cuban, however, included Canada's Steve Nash and Team USA's Michael Finley and Raef LaFrentz in his pronouncement.

China's Wang Zhizhi was not included because he is a free agent.

Granik told the newspaper that the final say for Nash, Finley and LaFrentz belongs to the players. He expects all three to play.

Cuban said the costs could add up in a hurry if a player is lost to the Mavericks due to an injury sustained in the World Championships.

"I have no problem with our guys playing, but if the tournament is important enough to the NBA, and USA Basketball, they should be happy to buy insurance that pays the salaries of the players in the event they are injured, and covers the potential luxury tax costs,'' he said. "If it's not worth it to them to cover this risk, why in the world is it worth it to me?''

The squabble continues what has been a rocky relationship between the Internet billionaire and the league.

Cuban, who spent $280 million of his fortune to buy the Mavericks in January 2000, has been fined by the league eight times for $1,005,000, including a $500,000 penalty for saying he wouldn't hire the NBA's head of officials "to manage a Dairy Queen.''