The atmosphere around American Airlines Center continues to deteriorate following the trade of Luka Doncic. Not only did the Mavericks lose their overtime battle against the Kings tonight, but they also lost the last of their frontcourt depth after Daniel Gafford picked up an injury to his right knee.
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Early in the second quarter, Gafford was screening for Spencer Dinwiddie when he collided with Malik Monk. The high-flying center immediately fell to the floor and began clutching his right leg in pain. He would require the assistance of two people to hobble off the court.
Gaff was ruled out for the remainder of the game, casting concerns about the Mavericks’ depth. With Anthony Davis injuring his right adductor in his debut and Dereck Lively II out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right ankle, Gafford was the last line of defense for Dallas.
Meanwhile, some fans are viewing their recent injury struggles as penance for the shocking trade of Doncic. “Basketball Gods are punishing the players,” one user tweeted in response to a post about Gafford’s injury.
Basketball Gods are punishing the players :/
— What are (W)NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) February 11, 2025
“What curse did they bring to Dallas,” another fan questioned online. While it may sound harsh to chalk up the Mavericks’ injury woes to some form of karmic justice, the fanbase itself is echoing many of these sentiments.
Nico Harrison literally cursed this franchise omg
— Bragouf (@bragouf) February 11, 2025
Others have recognized that Harrison is simply a cog in the machine. Those fans have an axe to grind with the Adelson family, who purchased a majority stake in the Mavericks in 2023.
The Dallas faithful — and even LeBron James — have grown frustrated with the front office’s continued attack on Luka’s image. The son-in-law of the Adelson family, and the new Governor of the Mavericks, Patrick Dumont, recently fueled the fire with some pointed remarks about the Slovenian’s work ethic.
Dumont argued that Doncic didn’t fit with the culture they were trying to build in Dallas. He pointed to NBA legends like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, arguing, “They worked really hard, everyday with a singular focus to win. And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work.”
He insinuated that a lack of commitment to improving was part of what made Doncic redundant in Dallas. “And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks,” the 50-year-old shared on Dallas Morning News earlier this week.
— otis (@original_otis) February 11, 2025
Clearly, fans are not happy with the current state of the Mavericks. AD and Lively are certainly going to miss the rest of February, and if rumors about Gafford spraining his knee hold up, then Dallas will be without a serviceable big man for the near future. To make matters worse for the fanbase, Doncic is currently making his debut for the Lakers, who went into half-time with a 22-point lead over the Utah Jazz.
