You can go back years and see how Mark Cuban treated a franchise superstar as the owner of the Dallas Mavericks. They were untouchable, as the case was with Dirk Nowitzki. Those were the kinds of emotions the former majority had for Luka Doncic, who the Mavs scouts identified from when he was a teenager in Real Madrid. So similar to probably every Mavericks fan, Cuban saw his trade to the Lakers to be unfathomable. “I gotta tell you, I’ve had a rough week,” he admitted to Bill Gates soon after the trade.

Cuban may not have relayed his thoughts openly, but let’s be honest, he wouldn’t have traded Luka Doncic. However, even though he has to take no accountability, the multi-billionaire has stood on the side of the franchise in times when fans are abandoning them. Mark Cuban is still as passionate a supporter of the franchise he took to a championship in 2010.

But he does think they didn’t do justice to their fans. All Nico Harrison has said in the aftermath of the trade is how he hopes Anthony Davis satisfies their immediate title hopes. As far as answering the fans about using their precious star as the sacrifice, the Mavs have communicated close to nothing. That’s why Cuban isn’t surprised to see the outrage from their loyal fans.

“I mean you’re going to make mistakes. And I think the biggest challenge the Mavs have right now is there’s nobody who is really going to communicate. And it’s not so much what you do it’s how you communicate why you do what you do… If you win and fans are passionate enough to show up in 100-degree weather and line the streets then you got to expect when things done go the way they want, they’re going to be just as passionate,” Mark Cuban explained to WFAA.

With absolutely no acknowledgment of the situation, fans are angered. Communication may not have solved much. However, they didn’t want justification. The fans expected the franchise to relate to their thoughts. The Mavs did trade the center piece who just took them to an NBA Finals.

How does Davis help get over the hump against Luka Doncic? What were the thoughts that went into play? All of those things need to be addressed.

A little empathy by the Mavericks could have gone a long way

Fans don’t want the Dallas Mavericks to apologize. The “Fire Nico” chants too are a result of them being kept in the dark. All the news they have received on the potential reasons for trading their franchise cornerstone has been through reports. Some claim Doncic reached 270 lbs. They can’t see it when he is donning the Lakers jersey and hasn’t been injured.

One report claimed his high risk of injuries played a factor. But they got in Anthony Davis who has been an injury-prone forward barring last season. So was this to avoid paying him the $300+ million extension that would await him? Or did they just not feel confident in putting a team around Luka Doncic?

The Mavericks may be the only party that knows the answer. However, the fans have no idea whatsoever.

Had they been a little transparent about the reasons for trading Luka Doncic, would it prevent fans from ostracizing their team? Maybe not. But it would certainly help them in coming to terms with it. For now, it feels like the organization betrayed them. And as much as business decisions fall completely upon them, they do have a duty to serve the fans.

It might be too late now. The one way to recoup from their current placement would have been challenging for the championship. But if they had injury concerns with Doncic, those have hit them back with their current roster. Kyrie Irving suffered an ACL injury ending his season. He will probably return late into next season. In addition, Anthony Davis is still recovering from an abductor injury he suffered on his debut.

How do you think the Mavs can manage this debacle now? Let us know your views in the comments below.