Luka Doncic trade: Mavericks GM Nico Harrison reportedly receiving death threats ahead of first home game back

When ESPN’s Shams Charania first broke the news of Luka Doncic’s shocking trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers last week, the reaction was swift. A large portion of the Mavs fan base made its anger clear with the decision to move on from the 25-year-old international superstar after flipping him for Anthony Davis.

According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison received death threats after the trade went down. As a result, security is increasing for the Mavericks’ first home game since it happened.

McMahon said protests are planned outside the American Airlines Center prior to the Mavs’ matchup against the Houston Rockets on Saturday. Harrison also won’t be sitting with the fans, as he usually does, amid the increased protection.

"Nico Harrison has been subjected to death threats. There have been racial epithets included in some of those…security will absolutely be beefed up." – Tim MacMahon on Dallas Mavericks first post-Luka Doncic home game pic.twitter.com/AsD4dgcJyZ

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 7, 2025

“Listen, this is a heartbroken fan base and there have been some very unfortunate developments regarding that anger, that angst,” McMahon said Friday on NBA Today. “Nico Harrison has been subjected to death threats. There have been racial epithets included in some of those. Certainly, security’s going to be beefed up. There will be protests outside the arena – those are planned. Security will absolutely be beefed up.

“Nico Harrison is not going to be in his normal seat in the stands. There’s no reason to subject him to that kind of a security risk. That has been, definitely, an unfortunate part of this whole storyline. Obviously, the fans’ anger, hey, they have every right to feel like they got a generational superstar ripped away from them. But, clearly, lines have been crossed.”

Doncic’s trade sent a shockwave across the NBA as the Mavericks sent him to the Lakers in exchange for Davis and Max Christie, while the Utah Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino and two 2025 second-round picks to help facilitate the move. Some wondered if Charania was hacked after first posting the news on X, but the other insiders quickly confirmed it was in the works.

Still, after trading his franchise player in Luka Doncic, Nico Harrison defended the trade during a press conference. He cited the need for the Mavericks to win now, which is why they added a rim protector in Anthony Davis before the NBA’s trade deadline.

“I understand why they would be shocked, initially,” Harrison said, via Yahoo Sports. “But I do believe that we positioned ourselves to win now and also win in the future. And that’s ultimately the goal and why we’re here. It’s one of those things where it’s my job to make the tough decisions that put our goals first and foremost.”