The Dallas Mavericks fanbase is in shambles. The duo that was supposed to revive the franchise—Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving—is injured. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic is thriving in Los Angeles. And through it all, fans have been asking the same burning question:

Why on earth did Nico Harrison and the Mavs think trading their 25-year-old cornerstone was a good idea? The outrage has been so intense that some fans even went as far as sending death threats to Harrison and a few team owners.

At first glance, the trade seemed like a win-now move. Why else would a team give up a generational talent who was just entering his prime? But recently, Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont finally broke his silence on the matter—and his explanation might shock you. The real reason Dallas traded their five-time All-NBA star? To secure their future.

“We looked at our trajectory during the season and realized we did not get better. But the teams that we competed or some of those we beat did get better. And ultimately when you look at the Eastern Conference after we were to through the Western Conference if we were so fortunate, you would have to beat some very formidable teams including the one we lost to which actually got better. So this was a decision about the future,” Dumont explained.

This is after Durmont allegedly pointed to Luka Doncic lacking dedication saying if players don’t work hard every day “you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks”. 

However polarizing the trade might be, there was something that Patrick Dumont did get right. When healthy, the Mavericks do have a deep roster. The aim was to have a starting five that makes teams shiver. “You have Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington Anthony Davis and either Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively as your starting five. That’s going to put fear into a lot of teams in the league if we get going,” he said.

By all estimations he is right. They have size and AD binds together their defense by being an unflappable force as a shot blocker. Moreover, he can also play at an MVP-caliber as was clear with the Lakers. But didn’t Luka Doncic do the same?

Was trading Luka Doncic the answer to the puzzle?

There could be several reasons for the Mavericks to trade Doncic. They may not have liked his work ethic or reportedly feel his career will go downhill. At the same time, the reason the Mavericks were viewed as contenders each season was because of his presence. He is a generational talent who can bring the best out of an entire roster.

Around the team, nobody despised him. Additionally, as far as dedication is concerned, this man was wrapped in bandages before the NBA Finals. He still averaged 29.2 points and 5.6 assists per game against the Boston Celtics in that series!

Yes, it’s entirely possible that internally, they had doubts about Doncic. How bad did it get is still unclear. However, if you look at the roster, everybody thrived while playing with Doncic. The bigs have someone who can make any pass, Kyrie Irving has ample spacing. Defensively he may have been the weak point.

It’s easy to see how AD fills that gap. But the thunderous forward can’t do the things Luka Doncic can do. This isn’t to say he can’t be productive. The Brow is a phantom and an incredible player who can elevate a team as a contender. But he is 32, so is Kyrie Irving. And Davis although fit, has been injury prone. Proof came when he went down on his debut.

It was unfortunate. Irving tearing his ACL was also a misfortune. But to cope with one weakness that Doncic may be harboring, changing the entire dynamics of the team with the future in mind is difficult to comprehend.

For the next four years, a healthy Dallas Mavericks can be a great threat without question. But by that time Doncic will only be 29 and in the prime of his career. So unless what the Mavericks project happens to his career is true, the Dallas community is going to find it hard to process that this was a decision to safeguard the future.