Even as the Dallas Mavericks prepare to usher in the Cooper Flagg era, a large part of the fan base still hasn’t forgiven Nico Harrison, the president of basketball operations, for trading Luka Doncic.
As part of their plan to soften the blow, the Mavericks have launched a new initiative to boost fan engagement, according to Ethan Casson, who was announced as the new president on Tuesday.
Casson said that healing the wounds from the Doncic trade is his “most important priority” right off the bat, while stressing that he plans to “listen, listen, listen and listen” to the fans to educate himself on the dark times they endured following the Slovenian’s exit.
“I’ll describe it this way: I want to meet fans where they are,” Casson told SBJ. “So if they’re in the ‘We’re enthusiastic about the future’ mode, great. Tell me why and how we can continue to enhance that enthusiasm. And if you’re in the camp of ‘I’m still really disappointed, I can’t believe this happened,’ great. I’m going to meet you where you are. Tell us how we change that on your behalf? How do we showcase to you and prove to you just how valuable you’ve been to us all these years and hopefully stay with us for all these future years?”
Casson, the former CEO of the Timberwolves, didn’t provide specific details on how the fan outreach program will work. One would assume it will include both in-arena and social media engagement, similar to the fan immersive experiences offered by some EPL clubs.
The Doncic trade sparked outrage among Mavs fans, triggering loud “Fire Nico” chants during games and protests outside the American Airlines Center, leading employees to take down offensive arena signs. Furthermore, many longtime fans canceled their season tickets.
Flagg’s arrival has helped regain some fans’ support, with the Mavericks reportedly selling $8M worth of season tickets for the 2025-26 season within the first 72 hours after he was chosen No. 1 overall.
For now, the Mavericks fan base has good reason to be optimistic, but the anger toward Harrison will likely amplify if Doncic can lead his new team, the Lakers, to a championship next year.
