In the world of professional sports, trading functions as one of the many ways two teams can interact for players or money of draft picks. Often, many leagues implement a trade deadline to stop teams from stacking talent before the playoffs. In particular, the NBA trade deadline harbors some of the most hectic and league changing action compared to any other major league in America. Going into the deadline, it seemed that the only big name in the trade block was Miami Heat star small forward Jimmy Butler. After constant verbal conflict with the team and multiple suspensions by the Heat, Butler was a sure-fire trade target. But this article isn’t about Jimmy Butler. Instead, I am going to cover a trade so offensive that the people in Dallas held a public funeral for the loss of this player.
25-year-old point guard Luka Doncic was coming fresh off an NBA finals run where the Mavs were struck down by a stacked Celtics roster despite Doncic’s best efforts. Doncic finished the season as an MVP candidate and with a bright future in the city of Dallas. The 24-25 season would not start swimmingly for the Mavericks, as a sea of injuries would bestow the otherwise talented team and hold them to the middle of the western conference. With Luka’s return on the horizon, many Maverick fans had regained hope on a season that was seldom of it. But many fates were changed on that cold night in February.
A blockbuster deal was struck between the Lakers and Mavericks involving first round picks, star players, and Luka Doncic. Fans worldwide were struck with awe as they witnessed the young future of a blossoming Dallas squad squandered by a foolish deal. Many in Los Angeles filled with shock and joy as the franchise found their next superstar to carry the torch once Lebron retires. Many sports talk shows didn’t know how to respond to this deal, takes filled with confusion and rage stormed the Dallas radio waves as anger, grief, and confusion lingered in the city’s roots. People held mock funerals for the loss; others protested for days outside of the Mavericks stadium, demanding some kind of explanation for this monstrosity of a transaction.
As I write this, it has been weeks since this event, yet the wake of this transaction can still be felt everywhere across the country. Though it might sound dramatic, to many people sports is an escape from the mundane and redundant lives they live in, losing such a key player with such little notice kills a city and the market around it. If any sports GMs are reading this right now, I think this serves as a perfect example of what not communicating to your fans can do to your market.
