It’s been a long 11 days in Dallas following the trade. Here’s all that’s happened.
DALLAS — It’s been a whirlwind month for Dallas Mavericks fans — and the sports world in general — as everyone continues to process the aftermath of the shocking Luka Doncic trade.
And let’s be honest: The vibes have not been great.
It all started on Saturday, Feb. 1, at 11:12 p.m. when NBA Insider Shams Charania broke the news that the Mavericks were sending Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick.
The news sent shockwaves through the sports world and heartbreak to Mavs fans as they tried to wrap their heads around the reality that the organization traded away a generational talent in Doncic. Eleven days later, the pain and shock are still very present and it’s been expressed in the form of protests, billboards, merch and more.
So, if you’ve had a hard time keeping up with all that’s happened in the last 11 days – don’t worry – we’ve got you covered.
TIMELINE: Everything that’s happened since the Luka Doncic trade
Saturday, Feb. 1
As noted, at about 11:12 p.m., NBA Insider Shams Charania reported on X that the Mavericks were trading Doncic, Kleber and Morris to the Lakers in a blockbuster deal.
The report indicated that those three were being sent to LA for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
Sunday, Feb. 2
On Sunday morning, the Mavs officially announced the trade in a news release, confirming all reports from the night before.
The release included words from Mavs General Manager Nico Harrison, who orchestrated the trade.
“We are thankful for Luka and grateful for his efforts during his time with us,” Harrison said. “He helped build this team and was an integral part of the success we’ve seen throughout the years, including our recent NBA Finals run, along with Maxi and Markieff who are veteran voices equally valued across this team. This is a new chapter, and we are excited to welcome Anthony Davis and Max to the fold. AD is an experienced veteran, who can play both ends of the floor while helping elevate us defensively. He knows first-hand what it takes to win, and I know he’s motivated to be a part of what we’re building in Dallas.”
General manager Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd addressed members of the media Sunday, acknowledging the magnitude of the trade and praising Anthony Davis’ defensive potential.
“We feel that defense wins championships and we’re excited to go,” Harrison said. “We feel like we’re built to win now as well as in the future.”
In their first game without Doncic on the roster, the Mavs got destroyed by the east-leading Cavaliers. However, they were without Kyrie Irving, P.J. Washington Jr., Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and Dwight Powell.
This beatdown further rubbed salt in the wound that Mavs fans had in the day following the trade.
For the first time since the trade had been announced, Doncic released a statement to fans.
In it, he shared his thankfulness for North Texas and the city of Dallas for accepting him and celebrating him for his seven-year tenure.
“In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed,” Doncic said in his letter. “Thank you not only for sharing my joy in our best moments, but also for lifting me up when I needed it most.”
Less than 24 hours after being traded to the Lakers, Luka Doncic touched down in the City of Angels Sunday night.
The Lakers posted to their social media pages a video of Doncic stepping off a plan in LA and flashing an LA hand gesture for the cameras awaiting his arrival.
“Can’t spell Luka without LA,” the Lakers noted.
Monday, Feb. 3
Once news broke late Saturday night, fans gathered on Sunday in Victory Park to create a makeshift tribute to Doncic with posters, flowers and other moments. On Monday, AAC staff tore it down, along with a large banner featuring Doncic that hung from outside the area, truly marking the end of an era.
Davis, who the Mavs received in the trade, posted to his Instagram page also showing gratitude towards the organization he was with for the past six years.
While looking back on his past with the team, he made sure to include his feelings towards his new home.
“Every great story has an exciting next chapter…” Davis wrote. “Dallas- Here we come!”
The yellow and purple jersey with Doncic’s 77 number was released on the NBA’s online store Monday morning.
The jersey became available for purchase for the price of $79.99.
Celestial Beerworks, based in the Medical District, launched a new IPA with the message, “Sell the Team.”
The beverage is a double hazy IPA said to pair well with “our despair & confusion,” the brewery wrote on Instagram.
Tuesday, Feb. 4
The Lakers introduced Doncic at a press conference Tuesday morning. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka joined Doncic to address the media, saying that Doncic is joining one of the most “popular and influential basketball brand on the globe.”
Doncic shared his excitement for his new home, including how playing alongside Lebron James is a “dream come true.”
The Mavericks made another move and traded away Quentin Grimes and a second-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caleb Martin, a small forward.
Martin ironically joined the Mavericks the same day the Sixers were set to host them.
One Mavs fan started a GoFundMe to get up billboards around the AAC of anti-Nico Harrison, and anti-Adelson designs.
They raised well over $40,000 with a stated goal of $82,000. Dozens of designs were submitted to be voted on by the masses.
Though he wasn’t playing, Davis traveled with the team to Philadelphia and went through shootaround ahead of the Mavs game with the 76ers.
Davis spoke with reporters for the first time since the trade was announced.
“Obviously, it was shocking just because I didn’t know, but after the shock factor wore off, then I know it’s time to get to Dallas, get to the, the physical, see the doctors, and then get ready to get back to get on the floor with these guys,” Davis said.
In their second game after the trade, the Mavs lost again. This time, however, with new addition from the Lakers Max Christie, who scored 15 points.
Thursday, Feb. 6
Klay Thompson dropped 25 points and led the Mavericks to a much-needed win on the road in Boston. The Mavs were able to pull this dominate win off without Anthony Davis.
Friday, Feb. 7
The Mavs held a Friday afternoon press conference to introduce their new players, including Anthony Davis, the major return piece in the Doncic trade. But general manager Nico Harrison and coach Jason Kidd were absent, and the only Mavericks official there was play-by-play announcer Mark Followill, who introduced the players. “No-show Nico” ignited the fan base’s frustrations further, and the team apparently saw that coming: While they streamed the press conference on their YouTube page, they turned the comments off.
Picture of Nico Harrison and Rob Pelinka negotiating Luka Doncic trade surfaces
One of the early details reported about the Doncic trade was that Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison met with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka at an Ascension Coffee shop in Dallas on Jan. 7 to begin discussing the trade possibility. Well, after WFAA aired a story about “the scene of the crime” at Ascension, a Dallas man named Asad Munir shared with us a photo he captured of the infamous moment.
Munir, a Dallas resident from the West Coast and avid Lakers fan, told WFAA he recognized Pelinka while getting coffee at around noon on Tuesday, Jan. 7, which is why he took the photo. At the time, he didn’t know who Harrison was. But Munir said he sent the photo to a relative who was a Lakers fan. When the trade was announced, Munir’s relative put the pieces together and called Munir to point out the gravity of the moment he’d photographed.
“It was just a picture. There was no hoorah about it, but then the sequence of everything that happened and how it correlates–I was just like, ‘wow,’ ” Munir said. “I had no idea that was Nico in the first place!”
Saturday, Feb. 8
The Mavericks returned home for the first time since the Doncic trade on Saturday, Feb. 8, for an afternoon game against the Houston Rockets. And fans made their voices heard, protesting before the game in the plaza outside American Airlines Center.
Fans brought “Fire Nico” signs, and one protester even drove a truck with a large “Fire Nico” sign on it. Mavericks fans also raised more than $45,000 to put up anti-ownership billboards in the area around the American Airlines Center. The protests, despite the frustration from fans, remained peaceful.
Anthony Davis put the Mavericks fans’ frustrations on hold for about an hour Saturday afternoon, putting up 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the first half against the Rockets. Davis looked like his dominant self, and a true foundational piece to a championship team.
Then it all came crashing down.
In the third quarter, Davis was knocked out of the game with a non-contact injury. He appeared to strain a muscle in his abdomen/groin area. The next day, reports surfaced that Davis is expected to miss multiple weeks with an adductor strain. Despite Davis getting knocked out of the game, the Mavericks held on for the win over Houston.
Sunday, Feb. 9
Not even Super Bowl Sunday could stop the bad news for the Mavericks.
As the Big Game was unfolding in New Orleans, news broke that Davis’ injury from the game on Saturday was more serious than expected. An adductor strain is now expected to sideline Davis for multiple weeks, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Monday, Feb. 10
Salt on an open wound? Felt like it.
Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki announced earlier Monday that he was going to be in Los Angeles for Luka Doncic’s Lakers debut. Dirk, who still has an advisory role with the Mavericks front office, wanted to show his support for what was supposed to be the next Mavericks legend for an entire generation.
Instead, Doncic was suiting up in gold and purple.
“Salt on an open wound” was the theme on Monday. As the Lakers prepared to debut Doncic, the team placed thousands of Doncic shirt jerseys on the seats at Crypto.com Arena. A truly bizarre sight to see for a Mavericks fans.
Back home in Dallas, the Mavericks’ game against the Sacramento Kings was marred by American Airlines Center staff kicking out several fans who were critical of the Doncic trade. One fan, Walker Duke, was spotted on the jumbotron mouthing “Fire Nico.” Duke and his friend, who had “Fire Nico” signs, were promptly escorted out of the arena. Two other fans got into a reported shouting match with Mark Cuban, the former majority owner, according to ESPN. Cuban reportedly told the critical fans to “shut the f— up.”
While this was unfolding in the stands, Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont was getting booed at his courtside seat.
On the court Monday night, Mavericks center Daniel Gafford exited the game with a knee strain. It was another big loss for Dallas, which has been hampered by injuries all season. The team on Tuesday said Gafford will be re-evaluated within two weeks.
Dallas took the Kings to overtime, but a late floater from DeMar DeRozan put Sacramento ahead with just two seconds left in the game. The Mavs couldn’t come back from there. After the game, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd skipped the postgame press conference, a requirement for NBA coaches. There’s been no word yet if Kidd faces any discipline from the league office.
Luka Doncic scored 14 points in 23 minutes of action in his Lakers debut, a 132-113 win over the Utah Jazz. While Doncic was still shaking off the rust from a long injury layoff, he still wowed the crowd several times with his signature step-back move.
“I was a little nervous before,” Doncic said. “I (don’t remember) the last time I was nervous before the game. But once I stepped on the court again, it was fun. Just being out there, it felt amazing.”
Tuesday, Feb. 12
Nico Harrison couldn’t even escape the taunts at an SMU basketball game. The Mavericks general manager was in attendance at Moody Coliseum for SMU’s game against Pitt on Tuesday night. When students caught wind of this, they began chanting “Fire Nico.”
Saturday, Feb. 15
WFAA broke the news on Sunday, Feb. 16 that 56-year-old Darrell Armstrong, a Dallas Mavericks assistant coach and former NBA player, had been arrested the night before on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
An arrest affidavit obtained by WFAA detailed how the charges stemmed from an incident where the victim were in an argument when he hit the woman with a gun and threatened to shoot her.
Thursday, Feb. 20
The Dallas Mavericks announced on Feb. 20 that Davis was “making good progress” and would be re-evaluated for his left adductor strain in two weeks.
On Feb. 9, it was reported that Davis’ left adductor strain would keep him out “multiple weeks,” adding to his lengthy injury.
The re-evaluation for Davis, according to this timeline, would be March 6.
Friday, Feb. 21
The Dallas Mavericks music video by music artist Dorrough Music went viral online … for all the wrong reasons. A hurt fan base latched onto rumors that Luka was edited out of the video (which he wasn’t — but other players were).
Dorrough Music released a statement on X saying in part, “I would never be part of anything intended to remove, censor, or disrespect Luke Doncic.” WFAA later spoke with the artist, who cleared the air on the situation.
- Full stories:
Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki spoke for the first time on Feb. 21 during an appearance in Plano about the blockbuster trade that sent star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Nowitzki spoke at Ticketstock, which is an annual event hosted by the popular DFW sports radio show, “The Ticket.”
During Nowitzki’s appearance, he told the hosts of The Ticket that he initially didn’t feel comfortable going up on stage to talk about the trade, but he explained that he would do it without getting into too many details.
“When I saw the news I was actually all across on the other side of the world. I was on vacation with the family in the Maldives,” Nowitzki told The Ticket about where he was when he heard the trade news. “My phone just starts blowing up left and right and then I kind of looked on social media and I think I was as shocked and surprised as everyone was.”
Sunday, Feb. 23
In a road game where Jimmy Butler made his home debut as a Warrior, Steph Curry dropped 30 and led Golden State to a handed win over Dallas. By halftime, the Warriors were already up 17. They kept their foot on the gas and beat the Mavs by 24.
Tuesday, Feb. 25
On Feb. 25, it was a sobering sight: Luka Doncic playing his former team in a Lakers jersey. Earlier in the day, Jordan Brand had released a promo referencing the George Strait hit “All My Exes Live in Texas.” A Luka revenge game was primed and ready to go.
Luka posted a … “tame” triple-double, considering his standards: 19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists. Let’s face it, Mavs fans. It could have been a lot worse.
- Full stories:
Friday, Feb. 28
A vibrant mural dedicated to former Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Dončić was unveiled on Feb. 28, just in time for his 26th birthday.
The mural, spearheaded by Fort Worth-based artist Juan Velazquez, has become an emotional symbol for fans who watched him lead the Mavs to several unforgettable moments.
The mural features the 26-year-old Slovenian in a Mavs jersey, the phrase “Luka Magic,” and the number 77 layered on top of the Downtown Dallas skyline.
Saturday, March 1
Former Dallas Mavericks Quentin Grimes scores career-high 44 points for Philadelphia Sixers
To make matters even worse from the trade deadline, Quentin Grimes dropped 44 points, a career-high, in a 109-102 win for the Philadelphia Sixers over the Golden State Warriors. Grimes was traded to the Sixers at the trade deadline for Caleb Martin, who has yet to see the court for the Mavericks at all.
It was almost an expected loss, but that doesn’t make it sting any less. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard combined for 57 points to beat the Mavs 132-117 on their home court.
Monday, March 3
Dallas Mavericks season ticket holders saw a price hike in their season ticket renewal option.
The average overall price increase will be 8.61%, according to a press release from the Dallas Mavericks. The increases reflect ongoing investments in team and fan engagement, the team said in a statement.
During a game against the Sacramento Kings, both Kyrie Irving and Jaden Hardy went down with injuries. Irving suffered a left knee sprain and could not walk on his own. Before being carried to the locker room, Irving sunk two free throws. Later that game, Hardy suffered a right ankle sprain and was able to limp to the locker room unassisted.
Adding insult to literal injury, the Kings routed the Mavericks. Irving and Hardy going down only added to the Mavs’ injury struggles, which gave Sacramento an easy, dominant win in Dallas. On the bright side, Kai Jones, who was signed by Dallas on Monday to a two-way contract, led the Mavericks with 21 points, a career-high, and nine rebounds.
Tuesday, March 4
ESPN’s Shams Charania broke the news Tuesday morning that Kyrie Irving sustained a torn ACL in the game against the Kings.
Caleb Martin designated to Mavs’ G-League team, Texas Legends
Caleb Martin, the guard who was traded for Quentin Grimes, was assigned to the Dallas Mavericks G-League team, Texas Legends, the team announced.
Martin has not played a single minute for the Mavs since being traded. The G-League designation is likely a rehab assignment, as he works his way back from a hip injury that has kept him sidelined since Jan. 10.
It comes only days after Grimes dropped 44 points for the Sixers, though.