A MAN BY the name of Jake Reedy was drinking with friends at Local Public Eatery in the Knox-Henderson neighborhood of Dallas when his phone lit up in front of him. It was 11:12 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1. Phones began to ping and buzz and light up across the dimly lit room. The whole bar, he said, saw the news at the same time. Luka Doncic? Traded?

"No one believed it," he said.

Four minutes later, ESPN's Shams Charania followed up. It was real. In the dead of night, Doncic had been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, along with two other players for All-Star Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick.

Sitting at a table, processing the news, Reedy's eyes began to well. Later that night, walking to Skellig, another bar in the neighborhood, his mind began to race.

He ordered Sharpies, duct tape and poster board on Postmates, Ubered home and came up with a plan -- futile though it would be. He got home at 1:22 a.m., took out a Sharpie and began to write down his thoughts. He took famous quotes and altered them. One read, "Talent wins games, but Luka Doncic wins championships." Another read: "We should have never, ever let Luka Doncic play for the Lakers." Another: "Mark, it was only $3.5 billion."

The 27-year-old then walked to the American Airlines Center and duct-taped the poster boards on pillars in front of the main entrance of the arena. He placed another, "RIP Mavs, TOD: 11:23 pm Feb. 1 2025, 'I need a recovery beer,'" below the Dirk Nowitzki statue.

He wasn't alone. For three hours, he and dozens of other fans mourned the loss of their favorite star. One fan arrived around 3 a.m., Reedy said, threw his Mavericks jerseys to the ground and renounced his fandom.

Fans gathered somberly later on Feb. 2 in front of the Nowitzki statue outside the arena -- complete with a casket in Mavericks colors -- to hold a faux funeral. The inscription underneath Nowitzki's statue -- "Loyalty never fades away" -- screamed with hypocrisy.

"It almost feels like he died," said Garrett Bussey, a longtime Mavericks fan. "Weird to say, but that's kind of the void that was ripped away."

Doncic jerseys and signs protesting the historic move dotted the crowd. Chris Ebbesen was there. He is 44 years old, has three kids. He remembers exactly where he was the night Doncic was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, then traded to Dallas in 2018. He'll never forget the night Doncic was traded away, either.

After more than two decades with Nowitzki and another half-decade with Doncic, he said the trade felt like his last vestiges of childhood innocence had been erased. He had to explain to his kids -- aged 12, 9 and 6 -- what happened when they woke up.

"They were in shock," he said. "I had to explain to them the business of sports. It was revealing to them. It's not a fairy tale."

THE BOND BETWEEN Doncic and Dallas began with Nowitzki. Dallas fans watched their first adopted son for more than two decades. He could have left and didn't.

They believed the slogan Mavs Fan For Life applied to the star players, too. They believed that the phrase inscribed on Nowitzki's statue mattered, and that there was a track record. And that in partnership with the organization, Nowitzki had paved it.

Doncic was next. Until he wasn't.

"The Mavs have always talked about caring about the fans and caring about the players and everything," Mavericks fan Carlos Garcia said. "And they just did Luka wrong with the way they talked about him, the way they handled this trade."

The Mavericks -- intentionally or not -- appeared to promote the journey of Nowitzki as much as his role as a player, the travails of the star tied with the place. The team's online store even sold a limited edition "passing the torch" commemorative coin between Nowitzki and Doncic. It was Nowitzki's tale, and it appeared to be Doncic's, too.

"Half these people wanted to go see Luka go win a championship after climbing the mountain, getting close," said Mitch Jones, a season-ticket holder who has already canceled his order for next season. "And it's like, OK, this is part of the journey. This is the struggle.

"And now we're robbed of being a part of that story and being a part of that journey."

The past two weeks have confounded Stephen Reiff, a longtime Mavericks fan and the co-founder and managing partner at Arvo Advisory, a public relations firm in Dallas. As a fan, he's trying to understand the reasoning behind the Doncic trade. As a professional, he has watched the Mavericks' handling of the aftermath in disbelief.

He can't find much Dallas did right, he said, from the timing of the trade being finalized -- in the middle of the night -- onward. The post-trade news conference was vague and light on articulated rationale. The explanation about team culture didn't connect. Specifics could have helped assuage frustration and tension, he said. If it's a new chapter, explain in detail how it might work.

"People want to know why," Reiff said. "They want to trust you. They want to believe in your vision, versus vague comments about defense and culture."

Instead, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said team governor Patrick Dumont initially laughed at him when he suggested the move. Harrison joked he and coach Jason Kidd would be gone in a decade if this didn't work. Some of the team's main public figures -- from former controlling owner and current minority owner Mark Cuban to Nowitzki -- were not only not aligned on the messaging, but also said they weren't told about the trade until late in the process or at all.

There was the censoring of fans and the removal of dissidents. And then there was the reasoning and the anonymous flow of comments disparaging Doncic on his way out the door, which Reiff said made Doncic somehow look even better because of what he accomplished in spite of comments about a questionable work ethic and diet.

Harrison made references to culture and that "defense wins championships" in his post-trade news conference. In an interview with the Dallas Morning News, Dumont was complimentary of Doncic but also referenced culture as a contributing factor to the move.

Sources previously told ESPN and other outlets that there were serious concerns in the Mavericks organization about Doncic's fitness and work ethic. Team sources said issues with his diet and conditioning had contributed to Doncic's injuries. In 2021, Doncic himself acknowledged he had to "do better" managing his weight and conditioning.

A source familiar with the Mavericks' thinking told ESPN the franchise could have done more to prepare for the aftermath of the trade. If they could do it again, the source said, more people should have been involved in the discussion of how to handle the fallout. But it was difficult because Harrison kept the circle so small.

The source also said while the Mavericks could have handled the reaction better, the anger surrounding the trade likely would not have changed much. The source acknowledged that at this point, the only way to change the narrative in Dallas is to win -- and fast. Overshadowed by the anger, Dallas has won four of seven games since trading Doncic, including four of its past five. And three of the wins have come without Davis, who was injured in the first half of his home debut with the Mavericks on Feb. 8.

Mavericks fan Patrick Martinez said the anger fans feel "wouldn't be as amplified as it is right now" had the franchise managed the fallout differently

"If all of them were aligned and able to articulate their rationale without bashing Luka," Reiff said, "I think it would have helped, and I think it would have gone away quicker.

"[It] has made it a lot worse."

When asked to describe how the Mavs handled the trade and the fallout, Reiff offered a single word.

"Atrociously."

NEARLY ONE THOUSAND fans protested outside the arena on Feb. 8, before the team's first home game following the trade. The arena did not show shots of fans in the stands -- a stadium tradition regardless of the sport.

Two days later, during a karaoke segment, a fan was shown mouthing "Fire Nico." The camera quickly zoomed out and the fan was later ejected. In the same game, a loss to the Sacramento Kings, several other fans were ejected for what the Mavericks described as violating the NBA's Fan Code of Conduct. The fans had been protesting the trade with "Fire Nico" signs and chants. One of the protesters was Bussey, who wore a shirt with Mavs owner Miriam Adelson's face with a red clown nose, as did his friend, Chris Taylor. They had started a "Fire Nico" chant during Mavericks free throws late in the fourth quarter. It caught Cuban's ire, and he yelled "Shut the f--- up and sit the f--- down," according to footage seen by ESPN.

Cuban told ESPN that the fans, who were sitting approximately 20 rows behind him, were yelling during Mavericks free throws late in regulation. Taylor contested that notion, saying they chanted because that was the only time they could be heard because of the arena's continuous pumped-in noise.

"We chanted 'Fire Nico,'" Taylor said. "There was nobody booing. Contrary to what Mark Cuban says, nobody was doing any booing during the Mavericks' free throws.

"It was all 'Fire Nico.'"

Bussey and Cuban had a lengthy direct message conversation the following day. Bussey said he told Cuban they were not booing or disrespecting players. He told Cuban he was pushed multiple times by American Airlines Center security during the ejection and hurt his surgically repaired leg. He also said he told Cuban he didn't plan on pressing charges but wanted to make clear how he was treated by arena security.

Cuban then offered Bussey two tickets to sit courtside for Dallas' game against Golden State on Feb. 12. Bussey, who owns seven Doncic jerseys, accepted the invitation and took his son to the game. It was a small gesture but one that held meaning for Bussey: He said he felt Cuban "felt bad for the way I was treated" and about his leg.

Before the Kings game, Dumont spoke with the Dallas Morning News. He expressed his admiration for Doncic while reiterating his trust in Harrison and insisting the deal was not made with any financial considerations. He called Doncic "a Mav for life" and said he sympathized with fans who were hurting. But he also emphasized culture and roster-building, specifically referencing Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in discussing work ethic and competitiveness.

Dumont failed to mention Nowitzki and baffled fans with the mention of O'Neal, who has famously admitted he often wouldn't train in the offseason.

"Just everything they do," Bussey said. "Is just a slap in the face."

Last Thursday, the Mavericks held a two-hour town hall meeting for employees in which both Dumont and Mavericks CEO Rick Welts spoke to the concerns over how the organization had handled the past two weeks and took questions from employees.

The source familiar with the Mavericks' thinking said Dumont and Welts faced difficult questions. Staffers explained what complaints and anger they'd been subjected to. Dumont and Welts told sales, marketing and partnership staff members they empathized with their concerns and that they will get through it together, day by day. The message was later met with eye rolls, multiple sources who were in the room told ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Welts told the Dallas Morning News on Monday he "probably underestimated the reaction" to the trade and that the fallout was different than anything he'd seen in his 47 years in the NBA.

But frustration among fans has only heightened in the two weeks since the trade. Harrison has received death threats, sources told MacMahon. The team offered refunds on season tickets. Some fans told ESPN they considered taking the offer but kept their seats because of April's game against the Lakers and Doncic.

"I wanted to be in the statistics," Jones said about canceling next year's season tickets. "So the owners know that this is a result of making that move."

In a conversation with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates five days after the trade, Cuban asked what he would have done if, after he left Microsoft, his successor had traded a newer, hot version of a Windows operating system for an older, Hall of Fame level system. Gates said "I might have to hide from the press." Cuban joked he knew people in that situation. NBA insider Marc Stein reported Cuban tried to convince Harrison not to make the trade.

Cuban declined to speak with ESPN for this story or answer emailed questions about the deal and the aftermath.

AS OFTEN HAPPENS when stars leave, Doncic's presence across the Dallas metropolitan area, once ubiquitous, began to disappear in the days following the trade. A large image of Doncic's face welcoming travelers to Dallas at Love Field, one of the city's two airports, was taken down. A large banner in front of American Airlines Center featuring Doncic was removed.

No Doncic gear could be found in any of the team stores inside the arena -- even at a discount -- by the All-Star break. The team's pregame highlight video featured few-to-no images of Doncic, even in the background. Few vestiges of him remained in the arena. One, on a display in the concourse just off Section 122, shows a blurry Doncic in the background watching as another former Maverick, Jalen Brunson, drives to the hoop.

Remnants of Doncic's impact remain in Dallas. Two Doncic murals exist in Deep Ellum, the trendy neighborhood 3 miles southeast of the American Airlines Center where the Mavericks once had their offices. A mural of Doncic's NBA 2K '22 video game cover remains on the side of the old Mavs Gaming building. Another Doncic mural, in a superhero uniform, resides a couple of blocks away on the outside wall of local bar St. Pete's Dancing Marlin.

Pete Zotos, a longtime Mavericks fan and owner of the bar, plans on keeping the mural and hanging a Doncic jersey near the other Mavericks jersey in the establishment -- Nowitzki's.

"I love that kid. He's always going to be a Maverick to me," Zotos said. "I'm going to leave it as long as I can, and I might even touch it up a little bit."

Ten miles north of the arena, at the Galleria Dallas, Jenny Grumbles hung a new art installation last week, including a piece featuring Doncic made out of portions of cereal boxes. She was hesitant to use it at first, but chose to because she wanted to honor the now-former Mavericks star.

Just outside the American Airlines Center, the Chop Sports Victory Park bar has a sandwich board. For nearly two weeks after the trade, the message has been an homage to the man who once worked next door.

It advertised a Luka Shot -- a Mavs shot prior to Feb. 2 -- consisting of coconut rum, pineapple juice, lime juice and blue curacao. It cost $11 with its old name.

Above it reads a different message: "Long Live Luka."

The shot now costs $7.77.

LAST THURSDAY NIGHT, before the team's 118-113 win over the Heat, Taylor stood outside the arena in his Doncic Slovenian national team jersey and a Mavericks hat with 'FIRE NICO' written in black marker on duct tape. The Mavericks logo was covered.

As he entered, he said he was asked to remove it, refused and was let in anyway. Reedy had another plan. Underneath his flannel shirt, he wore multiple T-shirts portraying Harrison's image with a red clown nose.

He got past security and then handed the shirts out to friends. Martinez and another friend, Alex Kelly, helped procure 44 tickets purchased by former Dallas Stars play-by-play voice Ralph Strangis. Strangis spent approximately $1,500 on the seats.

Strangis told ESPN he purchased the tickets because he believed the team had censored fans when they were ejected from American Airlines Center earlier in the week. He said he did not buy the tickets because of frustration over the Doncic trade.

"We wanted to come out here and kind of show our support, but also show that we're still pissed off," Kelly said. "And I think the Mavs have finally realized that these expressions of fans' opinions need to be heard."

Reedy, Kelly, Martinez and their friend, Sara Ghering, were not ejected. Kelly and Martinez, who said they received both dirty looks and nods of encouragement from fans, were left alone by nearby Dallas police officers. Kelly said he felt the way fans were treated "is changing a little bit."

Taylor tried to start some chants, he said. Jones, the season-ticket holder in a white Doncic jersey, said he received his Thursday night ticket for free from friends and attended to make his displeasure known. A few scattered "Fire Nico" chants popped up but didn't last long and were drowned out, perhaps intentionally, by arena noise.

Still, not every fan is mad at Harrison or the Mavericks. Sammy Reina, a 49-year-old lifelong fan, said he believes in Harrison's vision. "Once you put the puzzle together," he said, "it makes sense." He doesn't blame anyone, knowing basketball is a business. He believes in Davis and that it'll coalesce when the Mavericks are healthy.

The atmosphere was comparatively docile, with rage turning to quiet sorrow. The crowd appeared disengaged until the game's closing moments.

"At the end of the day, even when it's the [players] that most fans don't know, they still want to support this team and support what happens with the Mavericks," Kelly said. "And they just have not been able to do that.

"Because you have to go from a place of anger to a place of acceptance. And that just hasn't been allowed to happen until very recently."

Still, on Friday, the Mavericks sent a post on X reading "Happy Valentine's Day. Tag that special someone. #MFFL." It had a photo of a heart-shaped box with individual player faces wrapped inside. The vast majority of the more than 500 replies instead tagged Doncic.

"They need to be in crisis mode," Reiff said. "And have a committee to think through every communication going out right now. I hate to add bureaucracy and red tape, but they are in crisis mode."

THERE'S A FLASHPOINT coming -- for fans, the franchise and Doncic. A night that will provide either a semblance of closure or renewed outrage. There's little room in between.

Doncic and the Lakers play in Dallas on April 9.

Reiff said the team will need to honor Luka. The source familiar with the Mavericks' thinking said the franchise has already started planning a Doncic tribute.

Two months out, Reedy, who attends a dozen games per season, has a plan for the night and nights in between. For Tuesday night's game against the Lakers in Los Angeles, Reedy is holding a watch party at Christies Sports Bar in Dallas, where he plans on selling the Harrison clown-nose shirts with the goal to buy even more of them.

He wants to sell enough Harrison clown-nose shirts so he can pay for 10,000 to give away and pack the stadium like a playoff game on April 9. He blames Harrison for the trade and the impact it has had.

"[Doncic] was our poster child. I'm from Chicago [originally]," Reedy said. "He was M.J. in the 90s, or Kobe in the early 2000s, or Steph Curry or LeBron [James] in the 2010s. There's players you don't do that to.

"And he did it."

Other plans are unclear. Ascension Coffee, where inside the Hotel Crescent Court Harrison and Lakers GM Rob Pelinka first discussed the trade, isn't sure if they are going to commemorate Doncic's return. Josh Babb, the owner of Chop Sports, said a man approached him about using his bar as the home base to run 77 laps around the American Airlines Center prior to the Lakers game.

Six weeks away, other fans are already predicting the environment surrounding Doncic's return.

"Absolute brimstone fire," Kelly said. "A cauldron of insanity," Martinez added. Mavericks fan Eric Medina said Lakers fans will take over the American Airlines Center and, likely, even Mavericks diehard fans are "still going to go for Luka."

As sad and frustrated as Mavericks fans are, they seem happy for Doncic. They don't blame him. He's now on a high-profile team playing with his childhood idol, LeBron James. With the way Doncic was treated on his way out of Dallas, there's a chance April will provide a chance to say goodbye.

"You're gonna watch that guy go to the Lakers," said Zotos, the St. Pete's Dancing Marlin owner. "And he's gonna do great there, and they're going to a championship and it'll be like, 'Well, that' s...

"Kind of dang. We had him right here, you know?"