Mavericks CEO Makes Bizarre Admission on Luka Doncic Trade

A statement from Mavericks CEO Rick Welts about the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade has left fans in dismay.

“I thought I’d seen everything in my 47 years in the NBA, but clearly this was different. I probably underestimated the reaction,” the CEO said, via the Dallas Morning News. “It’s incredibly emotional, an incredibly difficult time for so many people. But I still believe we’re going to come out on the other side, with a future that’s incredibly bright. That’s kind of my glass-half-full approach there.”

His admission left fans completely stunned and was aptly summed up by Dan Greenberg of Barstool Sports.

“Uhhhhhhhhhhh what? You underestimated the reaction? How on earth is that even remotely possible?” Greenberg said. “Did everyone in the Mavs front office from their ownership group to Nico Harrison to the CEO seriously think that an entire fanbase wouldn’t immediately revolt once this trade was announced? How is there nobody in that room that says, ‘Hey, maybe this is a terrible idea that will kill our brand equity with the people who’s money we need?’”

Fans on X also called the CEO’s words the “understatement of the century.”

Part of what was so shocking about the trade was the fact that no one saw it coming, even super-plugged in guys like Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul – LeBron James and AD’s player agent.

“99.9% of the time, I’m going to know what’s going on,” Paul said on Gil’s Arena. “The one time I didn’t was the one time we all didn’t, per se, know what was going on. Who was in it was a shock. I always knew the affinity that was had for AD from Nico’s perspective, so the location wasn’t a shock. The timing of it was a shock. And, obviously, who was involved was a shock. I’m glad I didn’t know, and I’m glad whoever else didn’t know. Because it probably wouldn’t happened if you did know.”