The only way it makes sense if the relationship with Luka was quietly bad or the accumulated health/conditioning stuff is that concerning
Luka is at a strata where it is literally impossible to really trade for commensurate value - and they did not
Like there are a few years of reports of Mavs people getting eye-rolly about Luka’s diet and willingness to do off-season work but never implying the relationship was broken
You understand why Dallas did this trade? I’d love to hear something that makes sense. AD is going to be 32 years old next month and has been injury prone. Luka is 25 and entering his prime. With Luka you’d have a superstar player in your organization for a long time. Not sure how many good years AD will have left. Like Dallas has to win a title or else this is a terrible trade.
Luka was like one of the top 3 most untradeable players in the NBA and he just got traded. Mind is blown
Yeah from a hoops sense, this is pretty f’ing bad for the Mavs
The only logic I can come up with is “the relationship between Luka and the team actually was very bad and both sides kept that under wraps pretty effectively”
Nico Harrison gave a hysterical comment to ESPN (I don’t think he’s dumb enough to believe this, I think AD is actually trade bait but he has to say something)
“I believe defense wins championships, and we’ve acquired an All-NBA and All-Defense center.”
Which is a hysterical thing to say about a guy who grabs a microphone every year to demand his team find a center because he doesn’t want to do it
(I also don’t think the statement is genuine because they have two very playable centers in the roster)
Dumbest trade in the history of sports unless it turns out Luka’s got some degenerative condition that causes his legs to fall off.
I have a painfully nerdy Elden Ring joke here but nobody’s going to get it
was thinking Luka at age 31 as the black knight from Monty Python
the other interesting bit is Sam Amick more than hinting that LeBron isn’t long for the Lakers with this new team construction. he’s got a player option left for next year.
Yeah LeBron and Luka co-existing in terms of play style is hard to fathom
I think they could do it fairly easily? But Amick’s piece seemed to be hinting that the Lakers front office is just over the Lebron era of Laker basketball.
I think he believes that. What other reason is there? Trading one of the most valuable assets for a lesser asset to then trade for other assets is even dumber than trading for AD for defense. Way dumber!
I mean until they trade Lively or Gafford I don’t think he’s going to be playing center
The best plan I can squint and see would be Lively-Davis-Washington across the front court
Which would admittedly allow 0 points at the rim
Offense is tough w/ Kyrie and AD I think
Now trade Lebron for Zion and name a nutritionist as your head coach,
maybe that’s Lebron’s next job
This is kinda true
https://x.com/swipacam/status/1886072157282713881?s=46&t=jUj8hnpLNmWF-GGBEHlVUg
Lukas daily habits have to be all time bad
Zion and Luka would be the real splash brothers.
Gafford-AD is a fearsome front line defensively. Max Christie is a sneaky good contract.
I’m not surprised some of his actions are cringey eg. Crying to refs continually and acting like a petulant child. Fantastic talent but i think his act can be grating.
Postgame dinners would be epic.
Mavericks officials have been anonymously complaining to the media about Doncic’s conditioning for two years at this point.
I think they are simply sick of his sh*t
Doesn’t make this a good deal! At the very least get the Lakers whole draft not just the one pick!
I think Mavs offense is going to be bad (how many roll men do you need on the floor at once)
Defense will be pretty rad
AD to Rob: I need a big so I won’t have to play center.
Rob: Ok.
monkey paw curl