Luka Doncic-Lakers trade projects to cost Mavericks staggering amounts of money

Luka Doncic returns to Dallas on Wednesday for the first time since February's trade as the Los Angeles Lakers will be playing on the second night of a back-to-back against the Mavericks. This is one of the most highly-anticipated games of the regular season in recent NBA history, as the trade has stayed the hottest topic over the last two months, and Doncic has admitted that this is sure to be an emotional night for him.

Mavericks fans have been against the trade since the very beginning, protesting outside of the American Airlines Center and not showing up to games, and that is how the organization is feeling the effects of the trade the most, something Nico Harrison and Patrick Dumont probably didn't see coming when they decided to make the trade.

Mar 24, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after a basket against the Orlando Magic in the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported of the trade, "It's a decision, team sources told ESPN, that probably will cost the franchise nine figures over the next several years, as the Mavs are projected to lose dozens of millions in revenue this season due to dwindling crowds, plummeting merchandise sales and sponsors severing ties with the franchise in the wake of the trade. So many fans canceled season tickets in the days after the trade that the Mavs attempted to generate some goodwill by offering limited refunds."

That's on top of the "lucrative" endorsements that the Mavericks had lined up for this game because Doncic supported them before Doncic and his camp didn't give their blessing and had those taken off the table.

Businesses around the arena are also feeling the effects, as that decrease in traffic for games impacts restaurants, shops, and other leisure activities that were booming last year when the team made the NBA Finals. No one could've predicted this, and it may lead to a period like the Mavericks saw in the 1990s, when the team was one of the worst in the NBA.

This is only payback after the team cost Luka Doncic more than $115 million by trading him away. He was going to be eligible to sign a supermax extension with the Mavs this offseason worth $345 million over five years. The most he can now sign for is $229 million over four years.

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