As if Dallas sports fans haven’t dealt with enough already, late last Saturday evening, a notification incited mania around the National Basketball Association (NBA) as people scrambled to search for the truth in the scenario. It was so unheard of, everyone thought that reporter Shams Charania’s account was hacked. But sadly it was true: Luka Doncic, along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, were traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in return for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick.

A move which was ultimately absolutely ridiculous – culminating in protests by Mavericks fans and absolute shock from players across the NBA.  

The Mavericks administration has shown that they care more about profit than they do the fans. Trading away your franchise player, who’s accomplished the biggest achievements for the organization in years, undoubtedly proves that. 

Doncic, who won Rookie of the Year, was a five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA first team, won West Conference Finals MVP in the Mavericks’ Playoffs and Finals appearance last season and the 23-24 scoring champion of the league (in only his sixth year in the league), was traded without his knowledge. In his seventh year, the Mavs abandoned him and traded away #77. It took him half of a day to release his statement.

“I thought I would spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship,” Doncic said. “…I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home.” 

Former Mavericks player Chandler Parsons reported that Doncic had plans to buy a $15 million house in Dallas just last week. He never had plans to leave. In fact, Parsons claims Doncic cried when he heard the news.

The loyalty fadeaway

Doncic was the face of the Mavericks organization. He was drafted at only 19 years old, and was mentored by the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, who primed Doncic for a lifetime in the white and blue colorways of the American Airlines Center (AAC). Nowitzki’s reaction to the trade matched every person in the fanbase — no words, just shock. Nowitzki is known primarily for garnering the Mavericks’ only championship in 2011: when he was the only all-star player on the team. He played with the Mavericks for the entirety of his career. Fans thought the organization had lucked out in finding another committed legendary player in Doncic. 

But this all started when Mark Cuban, who used to be the general manager (GM) of the Mavericks, sold his majority share to Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of casino magnate Miriam Adelson. Dumont now serves as the Mavericks’ “governor,” the title for a team’s majority owner in the NBA. Cuban, although now holding a minor stake, had said a few years ago that he would divorce his wife before he traded Doncic. The new majority owners have no NBA experience, and have left GM Nico Harrison completely in charge of the team. 

Harrison announced that he made the trade without consulting the head coach, Jason Kidd. He and Robert Pelinka, the Lakers GM, had been reportedly speaking of the trading possibilities for a few weeks. In a press conference, Harrison outlined his thoughts for the trade, and Kidd’s dumbfounded face quickly illustrated that he had no say in the matter, which he’s further corroborated in press conferences. Harrison said that “We really feel that defense wins championships, and we think the players that we’re bringing in add to the culture, which is important to what J-Kidd and I have been building here from day one.” Well, in searching for a culture of defense, you ruined the spirit of Mavs’ fans (and probably all of the players too – now they know they have no permanence on the team). 

Claiming defensive efforts as the driving force behind this trade is actually hilarious. The day after the trade, the Mavericks allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to put up the third-most scored points in the first half in NBA history.

Harrison claimed that “conditioning issues” and Doncic’s weight were becoming a problem, and were key motivators for them to trade him. I don’t believe it. I think the organization is money-hungry, and they wanted to avoid paying Doncic the supermax deal he deserved. This summer, he was set to sign a five-year, $345 million supermax contract. They’re saving money by shipping him off. When asked in his introductory press conference as a Laker, he said he had no intention of not signing the supermax deal. 

Did Harrison even see the team when they clawed their way to the Finals? When Doncic was getting injured in every round of playoffs, he didn’t complain or use it as an excuse, and instead worked hard in every game. If you forgot, he averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the five NBA Finals games he’s played in his career. He took a fifth-seed team to the NBA Finals, something only done once before in NBA history. It wasn’t simply a team effort, it was Doncic’s effort that propelled the team that far. 

(Not only were Doncic’s efforts clearly established, they decided to trade for a big man who’s notoriously injured. If conditioning is such a big issue, why are you electing to bring on someone known for getting hurt? What advantage does that bring to the team? Davis put on a show in his first game in a Mavs jersey then in the third quarter went down with a no-contact injury which has him set to be out for several weeks. What a great move…)

I don’t care if Doncic wasn’t the biggest defensive asset: he was a part of the culture. The team was literally built around him. Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and many other players on the team came just for the experience of playing with Doncic. Let’s not forget that his career average stats are insane: 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 422 regular-season games.

Mavericks fans prove how important he was to the Dallas sports culture with how quick they organized to show their dismay at the decision. (If I didn’t live in Austin and have class to attend, I would’ve been right there with them.) Fans were quick to point out Nowitzki’s statue outside the AAC, with an inscription that reads “Loyalty never fades away.” Protestors left signs around the statue, along with jerseys and merch on the ground, illuminated by candlelight. I can’t explain how I feel better than how this fan articulated it: “…he was supposed to have a statue. He was supposed to be a Maverick forever.”

The fans haven’t given up either: at their first home game post-trade, fans gathered outside the stadium protesting the decisions and calling for the firing of Harrison. In addition, fans have also started a GoFundMe to establish anti-Harrison billboards around the AAC and Dallas area. At the time of this article, it has almost $50,000 raised. 

Fans attending home games at the AAC have also protested against the decision, with some even being escorted from the stadium after brandishing signs and mouthing while on the jumbotron “Fire Nico.” Harrison was also booed while attending a Southern Methodist University basketball game. It seems Harrison isn’t safe from his decision anywhere.

I have three Doncic jerseys and a plethora of Mavericks merchandise I don’t even want to look at. I feel robbed. I’ve supported the Mavericks since I was born in Dallas. I grew up going to games and watching my idol, Nowitzki, play on screen. I was lucky enough to attend a game when both Doncic and Nowitzki played together. But the pain is too much. I’ve been through enough. The Mavericks are abandoning their fanbase. 

To outsiders looking in, no I don’t think fans are overreacting. Ratings may go down, merchandise sales may plummet. The franchise is even offering refunds for season ticket holders. 

How are we supposed to support a team when they don’t value loyalty and honesty?