Tuesday 2/25 NBA Game Thread

[Dan Z]

Even if you thought trading Luka was a good idea, how f#$%king dense do you have to be to think that pairing him with LeBron James in your own Conference was a good idea?

Even ignoring that… maybe you thought… “Its only for 2 years until James retires”…

How the **** do you trade Luka for the deal you got?! That little. Lakers should have given up every first rounder available to them ON TOP OF Davis and Christie. That still would have been confusing but not this future crippling as it is.

The Mavs could have literally had ANYTHING they wanted in the league, a full blank **** check, and they just took the first offer like someone trying to get rid of a cat chewed sofa on Facebook Marketplace.

I'm not into the conspiracy theories about it, but that trade is very odd.

Let's look at it in a business sense. If you're a stock holder, or part owner of the Mavs, wouldn't you want to get the maximum amount that you can for your best asset? The team is worth 4.7 billion. It's possible that trading Luka causes that to go down for the next few years.

I can't imagine that all the owners were on board for the trade...?

[G R E Y]

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[Dirk2Doncic]

I'm glad the Lakers won. I live here in DFW, I WAS a fan of the Mavericks since the beginning of the franchise. I dropped the team.

GO LUKA!!! GO LAKERS!

[Dr Aki]

Kyrie played like he was the jilted lover today

[Lalouie]

lol...phx has FOUR players score over 20
phx gave up over 150

[HotRocks34]

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[Dan Z]

I see that Kyrie Irving has a player option for next year. What kind of contract can he get next year?

I assume that Dallas will pay him what he wants...?

[MrGoat]

I see that Kyrie Irving has a player option for next year. What kind of contract can he get next year?

I assume that Dallas will pay him what he wants...?

My guess is Dallas gives him the full 4/240 and Kyrie demands a trade once it's official. And I would not blame him at all

[Dan Z]

I see that Kyrie Irving has a player option for next year. What kind of contract can he get next year?

I assume that Dallas will pay him what he wants...?

My guess is Dallas gives him the full 4/240 and Kyrie demands a trade once it's official. And I would not blame him at all

I know Luka's max was a crazy amount, but he also has one year left on his current deal. They're willing to pay Kyrie his max, but weren't willing to do that for Luka.

I'm shaking my head.

[MrGoat]

I see that Kyrie Irving has a player option for next year. What kind of contract can he get next year?

I assume that Dallas will pay him what he wants...?

My guess is Dallas gives him the full 4/240 and Kyrie demands a trade once it's official. And I would not blame him at all

I know Luka's max was a crazy amount, but he also has one year left on his current deal. They're willing to pay Kyrie his max, but weren't willing to do that for Luka.

I'm shaking my head.

I don't buy the lie that they weren't willing to pay Luka, 29 other teams wouldn't have been that stupid

[Lakers In 5]

Magic, and especially the Bucks, can ya do Piston fans a solid and lose please?

Thanks in advance!

Magic will win tonight

Rather brave of you thinking a team that's in a contest with the 7-59 Bobcats for worst 3P shooting team of all time could hang with, let alone beat one of the best offenses in league history.

[Lakers In 5]

That being said, thank you Nico!

[Kobe187]

Lol the Elite contending Dallas Mavericks lost to the rebuilding Lakers

[pepe1991]

Magic finding out this isn’t the same Cavs team they faced in the playoffs last year that went 7 games.

They’re much deeper and the coaching is light years ahead.

Also Mobley continues to improve while Franz has yet to become an All Star.

Magic have also fallen apart. The FO is absolutely terrible:

According to Brian Windhorst the Magic's FO do not reach out to teams at all in an attempt to make trades:

I've heard they're not a deadline trading team, preferring summer deals instead. As a Spurs fan whose team had seldom made Feb deals but being more opportunistic of late, sometimes you have to strike. It does depend on where a given team is, how ready it is to compete, but yeah you have to facilitate and support a team on the cusp.

Orlando did not do meaningful trade in 4 years.
Current FO constructed one of top 10 worst shooting teams in nba history ( current one) and at deadline decided "nah, looks good".

Even Magic "PGs" know this roster need actual PG. But nop. Give up ball to 6'10 people and call iso for them every game. That will do it.
In 24 games this year, that roster failed to score 100 points. In 7 games they failed to score 90 points.

Nothing about current Magic roster makes any sense. They resigned Carter and Isaac after first healthy year in their careers, and both just went back at being somewhat injury prone and aged 10 years right after.
Who drafts guy projected to be late in first round with 11th pick to play him in G league whole year?
Who drafts PG and has him playing SF for two years?

It's insane how Weltman still has a job, after 8 years he had two years with positive record and one set of core already walked out ( Vuc, Gordon, Evan) . That's how that " 4 years ago " trade actually happened. Gordon asked to be traded in February. Weltman didn't trade him until month later Gordon didn't went in public and ask out. It's crazy.

[CodeBreaker]

This Mavs team is in trouble with Kyrie as the main orchestrator on offense.

Kyrie always has been horrible as the 1st option, ask Boston and Cleveland

[Kobe187]

Luka still figuring things out, Lakers (included LeBron) all looking for him to lead the way. Don Luka Magic has enough support to make a deep playoff run THIS YEAR.

[STAT_88]

I hate this trade like no other. Doesn't feel right seeing Luka in the purple and gold. I will say though that Dallas has been playing some damn good basketball without a lot of their key players. If they can get AD/Gafford/Lively/Martin healthy in the upcoming weeks... This team is going to be dangerous.

this team is third rate trash that will get bounced in the first round (if they even get in)

Yeah even a fully healthy Mavs with AD-Kyrie as top 2 players is a first round exit. Second round max.


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[Impuniti]

Even ignoring that… maybe you thought… “Its only for 2 years until James retires”…

How the **** do you trade Luka for the deal you got?! That little. Lakers should have given up every first rounder available to them ON TOP OF Davis and Christie. That still would have been confusing but not this future crippling as it is.

The Mavs could have literally had ANYTHING they wanted in the league, a full blank **** check, and they just took the first offer like someone trying to get rid of a cat chewed sofa on Facebook Marketplace.

Why do you people act confused? I really don't understand. Mavs spoke directly to one team when they had the hottest commodity in the entire league when you add age into the equation. Even if the Mavs GM hypothetically wanted AD because of the reasons he said he did (it's all BS), even some wannabe 18 year armchair GM would know that you talk to other teams to gas up the price.

This is one of the most disgusting acts of collusion in sports history from the league, all you needed were some greedy owners that don't give a single **** about the sport of the team they own to sprinkle it in and make it happen.

The way I see it, Mavs only wanted two players for Luka and that's Wemby which I think they approached first and rejected their offer before Nico negotiated to trade for AD. Pelinka is willing to offer Knetch plus more draft compensations if they allow him to talk with Luka's agent. Harrison refused and just settle for AD + Christie + 2029 FRP. It should be common sense that once Luka's camp found out that they are trying to trade him to Lakers, they can easily dictate the terms of trade negotiations like they won't sign an extension with the Lakers and he will be a rental for 1.5 season thus Pelinka will hesitate to trade the AD package the way Ainge back off on trading for Anthony Davis for his warchest of assets that time. Remember when AD"s father publicly stated that his son will never sign a contract extension with Celtics? That's why they keep the negotiations in private and pull the trigger in the middle of the night, AD is the only player that they want for Luka. They don't want the 10+ first round draft picks and swaps plus young players that the Nets, Rockets, OKC, Jazz, Spurs and other teams can offer.

This is what happens when you try to justify the most idiotic thing imaginable. Yes Luka can start dictating and have power if he wants to during negotiations, I guess it's a good thing Nico went quickly and traded the hottest commodity in the entire league for a top 15 player in the league whose 32 year old whose nickname is street clothes + 1FRP.

You made it all make so much more sense now. Really glad Luka didn't sniff out the deal so Mavs FO got in front of great deal quickly.

[Mk0]

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[Dr Aki]

That being said, thank you Nico!