Mavericks reportedly refund season ticket holders after Luka Dončić trade

The Dallas Mavericks have been doing everything they can to defend the Luka Dončić trade that has lit a fire under their fanbase, in a bad way. In at least one way, though, they’re acknowledging fans have a right to be upset.

Amid fan protests and criticism from around the league, the team has offered refunds to at least some fans who canceled season tickets in the wake of the trade that sent Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, according to ESPN and WFAA.

Dallas didn’t confirm it was doing so when WFAA reached out, instead offering the following statement:

Eighteen games remain on the Mavericks’ home schedule, including an April 9 visit by the Los Angeles Lakers which would presumably be Dončić’s return to Dallas.

It’s hard to think of a trade in recent NBA history that has invited more scorn for a team parting ways with an All-Star. While many teams hold onto young superstars with enough pressure to turn coal into a diamond, the Mavericks voluntarily reached out to the Lakers and offered a player who has made five straight All-NBA first teams, justifying the move with concerns about his conditioning and his upcoming supermax deal.

For his part, Dončić has been polite about his forced relocation, while the Lakers kindly thanked Dallas for doing business with them.

The Mavericks’ critics include Dončić’s father, who called the team hypocrites. Former controlling owner Mark Cuban, who still owns a stake in the team, has distanced himself from the move. And fans have been out at American Airlines Center bearing a blue coffin.

Even with Davis aboard and a chance to make the playoffs, this trade already seems to occupy an infamous spot in Dallas sports history. Hence, why the team is doing everything it can to make its fans less upset, even if it means giving up some ticket revenue in the near future.