The Dallas Mavericks‘ decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers remains one of the most stunning and controversial moves in NBA history. Doncic, who spent seven seasons with the Mavericks, was widely seen as the cornerstone of the franchise before his shocking mid-season departure.

The 26-year-old Slovenian superstar had just led Dallas to an NBA Finals appearance and was the league’s top scorer last season. His trade stunned the NBA world, sparking debates and outrage from fans.

Doncic has since flourished in Los Angeles, averaging 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists across 28 games while leading the Lakers to the third seed in the Western Conference. 

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, the Mavericks have had a rocky road. Anthony Davis—who headlined the trade package from LA—was injured in his debut and missed extended time. Combined with injuries to Kyrie Irving and other key players, Dallas dropped into the play-in tournament.

Now, the pressure is mounting—and so are the questions.

In a private roundtable with the media on Monday, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison addressed the trade. After he made it clear Anthony Davis was Dallas’ ultimate target, calls are continuing to mount for his firing.

“This is a cry for help,” a fan said. “The NBA has to remove him. He’s tarnishing the entire sport.”

“Nico and Kidd need to go,” said another. “The fans need to recover from this and they never will fully as long as these 2 are part of the team.”

“100%. Get this man off my freakin team,” one added.

The Mavericks will now face an uphill battle to make the playoffs. First, they must beat the Sacramento Kings on the road. If successful, they’ll face the loser of the Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies matchup for a shot at the eighth seed.

As for Doncic, his playoff journey begins Saturday as the Lakers host the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 at Crypto.com Arena.