Tom Leppert, former Dallas mayor from 2007 to 2011, penned a personal letter bashing the decision to trade Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. The letter is available in The Dallas Morning News.
Fans have been in their feelings ever since the deal was first announced and it appears Leppert is no different.
His nearly 1,100-word essay touched on the intangible factors of a player like Doncic, leadership failure at every level of this trade and singled out general manger Nico Harrison’s reasoning for the trade as particularly poor. He even called it a personal move rather than strategic.
“Luka gave Dallas national relevance, unforgettable moments and a genuine sense of identity post-Dirk Nowitzki. He was a generational pillar; the kind of player cities build around for decades. A generational talent you protect, support and empower.
There are trades that reshape teams. There are trades that reset franchises. And then there are trades so reckless that they fracture a city’s trust. The decision to trade Luka belongs in the last category.”
Dallas failed to make the playoffs after reaching the NBA Finals a year ago with Doncic leading the way. Anthony Davis — the key return in the trade — got injured in his very first Mavs game. Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March, thus ending any real hope of title contention this season. It’s unlikely he will be at a strong enough level next season as well.
The Lakers didn’t fare much better with a first-round exit in five games to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but a decade-long window is a much sweeter pill to swallow than what Mavs fans are faced with.
Former Dallas Mayor Questions Cuban’s Legacy
After plenty of blame was assigned to Harrison and the Dumont ownership group, Leppert also picked at former team governor Mark Cuban.
He expressed Cuban’s passion and desire when operating as the owner of the team benefited the community and team greatly. Knowing that, Leppert felt Cuban should have shown more care in finding an ownership which would continue to operate in the best interest of the fans.
“Mark Cuban, over his decades of ownership, brought a passion for basketball and commitment to our community. I can only wonder what his reaction is in hindsight to selling the team to out of town owners who haven’t reflected his commitment. There is no question it will affect his legacy.”
Leppert finished off by stressing the sense of betrayal and violation of trust that the community is feeling. He feels it will be extremely difficult to earn it back.
