It’s not just Dallas Mavericks fans who are livid at the organization’s decision to trade superstar guard Luka Doncic.
Doncic, 25, was shockingly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers overnight in a deal that brought Anthony Davis back to Dallas. While Davis is a former NBA champion and 10-time All-Star, he’s six years older than Doncic and has an extensive injury history. Since the news broke a little after midnight, Mavs fans have hammered the franchise, including owner Miriam Adelson and general manager Nico Harrison, on social media.
Now, Doncic’s father Sasa has weighed in on the trade. In an appearance on the Slovenian sports program Arena, Sasa Doncic said his son “did not deserve this.”
“With this trade, hypocrisy (from Mavs organization) hurts me personally,” said a translation from the Luka Updates X/Twitter account. “I think Luka absolutely did not deserve this. I know he sacrificed a lot. I know Luka really respected Dallas. He respected the whole city, he helped children and it was not a problem for him to go to hospitals and charity events. He played 100 games last season for like 40 minutes per game, constantly being doubled… I feel it’s really unfair from certain people from Dallas.”
Luka’s father Saša spoke about the trade on the Slovenian sports channel Arena.
He basically said he is very disappointed that certain individuals from the FO spread negative things about Luka. He said Luka did so much for the Mavs, he didn’t deserve this kind of treatment. pic.twitter.com/CKRxNNat5o
— SLO HOOPS FAN 🇸🇮 (@SloHoopsFan) February 2, 2025
In his own statement, released minutes ago, Doncic thanked the Mavericks fanbase, saying he expected to play his entire career with the organization “wanted so badly to bring you a championship.”
“In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed,” Doncic wrote. “Thank you for not only sharing my joy in our best moments but also for lifting me up when I needed it most.”
Doncic spent six-plus years with the Mavericks, who acquired him via trade with the Atlanta Hawks on draft night in 2018.
Without Doncic, the Mavericks were blown out 144-101 by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.
While the team was playing in Cleveland, groups of Mavs fans gathered outside the American Airlines Center in Dallas to protest the trade.
It should be an interesting scene next Saturday when the Mavs return home to play the Houston Rockets.
Related: ‘This Isn’t Even Close’ – Adam Schefter Roasted For Luka Doncic Trade Comparison