Just when it seemed like things couldn’t get worse for Dallas Mavericks fans, they did.
After trading away Luka Dončić, Mavericks season-ticket holders woke up Monday morning to an unwelcome surprise — an 8.6 percent price increase for their packages to see all 41 home games.
Many fans, already reeling from watching a 25-year-old generational superstar shipped off for an injury-prone Anthony Davis, were furious. The timing of the increase felt like a slap in the face, and the backlash has been immediate, with some season-ticket holders even demanding refunds.
Since 2001, the Mavericks bear sold out every home game, maintaining one of the longest sellout streaks in NBA history. But will that streak survive this latest move?
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided’s daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend! If you don’t like it, share it with an enemy!
Mavs’ justification for the price hike
According to the team’s statement, the price adjustments come with perks, including better seats closer to the action, increased rewards for merchandise and concessio️ns, and savings compared to market prices
“Despite the adjustments, full-season members will still save 15% to 23% compared to projected market prices next season, and mini-season ticket holders will save 11% to 20%,” the team claimed.
But for many fans, these benefits don’t outweigh the frustrations of a front office that just dismantled a title-contending core.
The Mavericks’ freefall
Once a Western Conference powerhouse, the Mavericks are now clinging to the 10th seed, desperately fighting for a Play-In Tournament spot. The Luka trade was already a massive gut punch, but the situation just got even worse.
- Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending torn ACL, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
- Anthony Davis remains on the shelf, leaving Dallas without its supposed new franchise player.
- Irving, the team’s offensive catalyst, was averaging 24.7 PPG and 4.6 APG — and now he’s out.
With eight home games left, fans are essentially paying more to watch a depleted roster.
Irving’s impending free agency only adds more uncertainty to the situation. If the Mavericks fail to improve the roster, their only remaining star could walk — leaving them with no Dončić, no Kyrie, and an aging, injury-prone AD.
General Manager Nico Harrison is officially on the hot seat.
If he wants to avoid a full-scale fan revolt, he’ll have to go all-in this summer, whether that means re-signing Kyrie to a max deal, making a blockbuster trade for another All-Star, or rebuilding on the fly with smart depth moves
For now, Mavs fans aren’t just paying more for tickets — they’re paying for a front-row seat to a franchise in crisis.