Luka Doncic moving to Lakers results in Mavs losing 40% of ticket revenue

Dallas Mavericks fans have been irate at the ownership and front office for trading Luka Doncic away to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Luka Doncic moving to Lakers results in Mavs losing 40% of ticket revenue

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic

When the Dallas Mavericks drafted Luka Doncic, they essentially picked their franchise cornerstone to eventually take over from the great Dirk Nowitzki. Now, that is no longer the case after they sent him away to the Los Angeles Lakers.

They did receive Anthony Davis in return, but the 31-year-old is not as big a superstar as the 25-year-old Doncic. Davis is an elite player who won an NBA title and therefore has been brought in to steer the team to another. But until he does that, he will not reach franchise legendary status.

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On the other hand, the Lakers essentially get Doncic to be their generational superstar. Playing alongside the great LeBron James means the passing of the baton will be seamless. At the same time, the combined marketing potential will send the Lakers through the roof.

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Jersey sales are already sky high as clips emanated showing a long line of Lakers fans waiting to buy brand new No. 77 Luka Doncic jerseys. However, those sales have not just impacted the Lakers merchandise store.

The same impact was apparent on ticket prices for Los Angeles Lakers home games. As per the data available on ticketing site Tick Pick, prices for home games have gone up by 19%. The trade is working out well for Jeanie Buss’ franchise.

Dallas Mavericks facing brunt of Luka Doncic trade

The Los Angeles Lakers might be enjoying the benefits of securing their next franchise superstar. On the flip side, the Dallas Mavericks lost theirs and the impact on the franchise is starting to take shape. Fans are already irate at the ownership and front office for depriving them of a generational talent.

Now their home games saw fewer fans inside American Airlines Center. Usually when there is a slowdown in ticket sales, the general method to boost sales is to reduce prices. However, the home game ticket prices have dropped by 40%.

Had they packed the arena, those reduced prices would not have mattered. But when combining with the smaller crowd, it means the city of Dallas, the owners of the arena along with the Dallas Mavericks are facing a major loss in revenue.

The only way this can turn around is if the team rebounds to become a serious championship threat. Then the fans will start to believe that the organization had NBA titles in mind when they brought in Anthony Davis. Only then can they expect fans to start purchasing season tickets and start packing their arena.