Dallas Basketball

Mavs podcaster rips team after Luka Doncic trade: 'They stole our joy'

The Luka Doncic trade has many Dallas Mavericks fans and pundits criticizing the team.

Jeremy Brener

Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks fans gather outside the arena before the game between the Dallas and the Houston Rockets to protest the Nico Harrison trade of former Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks fans gather outside the arena before the game between the Dallas and the Houston Rockets to protest the Nico Harrison trade of former Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
In this story:

Dallas Mavericks fans are still reeling nearly two weeks after the team traded franchise superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for a now-injured Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick.

The Dumb Zone podcaster Jake Kemp didn't mince words when talking about why he felt this was the dumbest trade in recent memory.

READ MORE: NBA Commissioner breaks silence on Mavericks-Lakers Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis deal

Trading Luka was not smart

“This is, to me, a violation of a sacred social contract between a team, a city, and a fan base,” Kemp said h/t The Ringer's Joel Anderson. “There’s a reason this has never happened before. Even the worst GM in sports history knows that you don’t do this.”

Kemp further explained why Doncic was so loved in Dallas.

“To be honest, Luka was created in a lab to engender the most love and support and emotion in a fan base ever—and they just dropped that in Dallas,” Kemp said. “He was a one of one.” 

Doncic grew over the years with Dallas, giving a new generation of Mavericks fans their own version of Dirk Nowitzki, who stayed with the Mavs throughout his entire 21-year career.

Doncic was supposed to be with the Mavs for life, until he was traded to the Lakers.

Now, all the fans have left is a constant reminder from one of the most iconic franchises in the West of what could have been.

"They stole our joy," Kemp said.

Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2024-25 Season

Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter.

More Dallas Mavericks News

Published
Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

Home/News