The Dallas Mavericks are facing more severe consequences from trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers than they had anticipated. Attendance at games has plummeted, businesses near the American Airlines Center are struggling, and the entire city remains in a state of despair.

The impact has been so widespread that even the Dallas Cowboys have noticed the city’s mood shift. Normally, the NFL team commands the most attention, but with the Cowboys underperforming this season, fans turned to the Mavericks—only to watch them trade away the city’s most beloved athlete.

Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was recently asked for his thoughts on the Luka Doncic trade, and his response reflected the city’s devastation.

“I ain’t gonna lie, they killed the city with that one,” Lamb admitted. “I wasn’t even expecting that… but I remember where I was when I saw it, and I thought it was fake.”

Lamb is now one of the few remaining star athletes in Dallas, following the Mavericks’ trade of Doncic, Kyrie Irving’s ACL injury, and Dak Prescott’s injury-plagued 2024 season. While the Mavericks hope Anthony Davis can fill the superstar void, he has yet to complete a full game due to persistent injuries.

The Mavericks have been under relentless criticism since dealing Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. Their struggles in the Western Conference standings, largely due to injuries to Davis, Irving, and other key players, have only fueled frustration. However, according to general manager Nico Harrison, the trade was meant to benefit the team immediately.

“I understand why people would be shocked at first,” Harrison said in the aftermath of the trade. “But I truly believe we’ve set ourselves up to win now and in the future. That’s the ultimate goal.”

He also added, “When I talk about the future, I mean three to four years from now… Ten years from now? By then, they’ll probably have buried me and [coach Jason Kidd], or we’ll have buried ourselves.”

Essentially, Harrison insists the trade was about winning in the short term. However, not everyone in the organization seems to be on the same page.

Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont recently addressed the trade at a Real Estate Council conference in Texas, and his explanation only deepened fans’ frustration by seemingly contradicting Harrison’s stance.

“We had to figure out how to improve,” Dumont explained. “Looking at our trajectory during the season, we realized we weren’t getting better. This decision was about the future. With the roster we have today, we believe we’re positioned to compete at the highest level.”

But if the trade was about the future, why part ways with a 25-year-old five-time First-Team All-NBA selection? And why trade for Anthony Davis, a player notorious for injuries, who hurt himself in the third quarter of his Dallas debut and hasn’t played since? There’s even a chance he won’t return this season.

Additionally, the Mavericks only secured one first-round pick from the two the Lakers could trade, as they sought to keep the deal under wraps from Doncic’s agent. A trade truly focused on the future should have maximized draft assets and included a promising young player. While Max Christie is a solid role player, his potential is uncertain.

At this point, the Mavericks might be better off staying silent about the trade. Every time they address it, they only seem to make matters worse.