Mavericks GM Nico Harrison Has Been Subjected To Death Threats After The Luka Doncic Trade

The Dallas Mavericks are trying to move forward in the wake of one of the biggest trades in NBA history. But as the front office tries to adapt, the fans are still upset over their star and they've made it known in the form of threats and protests all over the city.

"This is a heartbroken fanbase and there have been some very unfortunate developments regarding that anger, that angst. Nico Harrison has been subjected to death threats, there have been racial epithets included in some of those. Security is going to be beefed up. There will be protests outside the arena, at least those are planned. Nico Harrison will not be in his normal seat in the stands, there's just no reason to subject him to that kind of security risk. So that has been an unfortunate part of this whole storyline. Obviously the fans' anger, they have every right to feel like they had a generational superstar ripped from them, but clearly lines have been crossed."

To say that Mavericks fans grew attached to Luka Doncic over the years might be an understatement. During his rise to stardom, Luka was given the keys to the franchise and fans began to cherish and celebrate his game just like they did with Dirk Nowitzki years ago.

In seven years with the Mavericks, Doncic averaged 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game on 46.4% shooting. He's a generational NBA talent and, at 25 years old, is projected to be among the NBA's best players for the next 10+ years.

Suddenly and without warning, Doncic was traded to the Lakers, and Mavericks fans were robbed of the experience of watching their hometown hero win it all for the city. Doncic wasn't just a Mavericks player, he was an icon for the city of Dallas and the face of basketball in the city.

Online, fans have expressed their anger in many forms and much of the heat has been directed to GM Nico Harrison. Besides protests outside the arena, he's been getting bombarded with threats of violence that have the entire organization worried for his safety.

The entire NBA world is aware of the outrage in Dallas, including the newest Mavericks star Anthony Davis. While Davis plans to win over the doubters, he was quick to express understanding for the fans after losing their favorite player. He knows how upset they will be and fully expects a riot in his next game.

On February 8, the Mavericks will finally return home to face their fans for the first time at American Airlines Center. With many protests planned, and a potential boycott of the game, it's going to be a dramatic scene for the Mavericks on Saturday.

The best that the players can do is ignore all the drama and keep their heads in the game. At 27-15, the Mavs have a lot of ground to make up and they cannot afford to lose their focus now and let this season get off the rails. Nico Harrison sacrificed everything to put this steam together and now it's time for them to achieve results.