The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning…

[Upperclass]

Anddd the Lakers just got sold.

[ClayBerlin]

So, the Lakers make a trade that nets them one of the top stars in the NBA, then are sold soon after for a sum that increases the franchise value for every team in the league.

Oh and the team that traded the young star defied all the odds and won the lottery to secure the top pick.

I see.

[Luv those Knicks]

Kevin McHale gifted us Kevin Garnett.

Didn't KG void the first trade which was a lot more generous. KG kind of forced McHale's hand and with veto rights, he had that ability. Different situation than Luka.

[Jammer]

If you actually thought that a bunch of billionaires would leave their business in the hands of chance (ping pong balls), you probably think that you can purchase the rights to the Brooklyn Bridge from the shabbily dressed guy near the on walkway.

[VeryMuchWoke]

whether the NBA and owners are in agreement to keep certain teams relevant? Thinking about it, it’s not only the Lakers.

Us, Lakers, Knicks, Philly, and GSW (may be forgetting someone). I have to add LBJ as his own entity.

I feel like all the owners allow these teams to stack players, because they believe it will help them get more money in the long run. Like if the most popular teams keep getting the best players, it’s a win for all of us. Remember, every team gets a piece of the pie no matter how terrible they have been for decades.

I could harp on the Lakers always getting the best, they plunder the smaller teams all the time. But look at Us, how did teams allow Us to get KG, Ray, and PP on the same team? Look at the team we have now (probably the end). They let us get Jrue and KP, knowing we already had the Jays?! White wasn’t White when he snagged him. We haven’t been bad since that Chip and look at how much the team was worth because of it!

Sure, the Knicks had been terrible, but as soon as they started winning, teams were ready to give them what they wanted, no restrictions. They are about to try and push KD there, especially after Giannis is likely staying put.

When GSW started kicking ahh, they haven’t stopped finding ways to revamp. Snatched up KD, got top picks when they fell off. Got Wiggins (don’t remember how). Picked up Jimmy after failing to lure KD back.

Philly is always falling short, and live as disasters, but NBA did try to stop them from all that tanking. They got the picks for the best players, but they kept fumbling the bag. When they finally “lucked” into Embiid, they kept getting the other good players, the lakers don’t get. Sure, the injuries keep stalling them, but it hasn’t been for a lack of trying.

I know half+ of these teams are bring in top names as FA, but a lot of the time, those teams needed help to add the FA. I know, the team losing their players want something rather than nothing, but if those teams started saying we all agree we’re aren’t going to help with the sign and trades, those players wouldn’t be moving when they want to.


As I’m typing this out, I’m also starting to believe the players agree to this too! Money and lifestyle is a factor for them, but it has to be beneficial to the other teams because they could stop it if they really wanted to. So players win and the owners win.

LBJ: I’m going to the Heat! Surprise surprise, Cavs can build enough to bring him back home. Oh, so LBJ and Riley just happened to have a major clash over cookies? So much so that he’d jump ship after two chips? Remember, I’m arguing LBJ is like a team himself. Money man for the nba. When he goes to a team, they build them up with all the stars.

How in the living hell do the lakers get Luka for that light package and not get offers from other teams? Unheard of! I don’t care if Luka never gets better than he is now, the heck were the Mav’s thinking?

Spurs get the once in a generation talent. Surprise!

Mavs toss away Luka, #1 pick! Shocker!

If the bulls ever get it together again, I’ll be talking about talent being pushed to them too when they do. They have had good young players, they just haven’t found their wings like Philly did, since Rose(?). They still live off of MJ there will keep fans interested.

The smaller market teams will always get top players because of the draft structure, but it feels like they are the minor league, train up the future stars for the big boys!

With the amount of money and popularity Bronny brings, I see him on his own team in the finals before I see the NBA allowing another set of none fan favorites. Maybe a little exaggeration.

There is more I want to say, but I really want to hear from others. Do any of you think they are all in it together? I mean, it’s an organization, I get they are in it together. I’m talking about being in cahoots propping the popular teams. You see the ratings, I don’t see two small market teams meeting again for a while. If both are small market, one of them will have a generational talent on them. If Wemby remains healthy, he’ll be the next LBJ, Kobe, Jordan level guy. In the finals all the time.

Am I crazy? Another theory? What’s going on?!

I mean, it's been obvious for a long time the Lakers have been propped up.....The 2002 WCFs, the 2010 finals....Luka going there after not being shopped and then Dallas getting the #1 is just the latest thing.

It's a business, and Stern killed the FBI's investigation. Again, It's been obvious forever for anyone that looks at it with an open mind. Most people dismiss it because they enjoy the NBA and don't want it to be ruined.

[Shak_Celts]

whether the NBA and owners are in agreement to keep certain teams relevant? Thinking about it, it’s not only the Lakers.

Us, Lakers, Knicks, Philly, and GSW (may be forgetting someone). I have to add LBJ as his own entity.

I feel like all the owners allow these teams to stack players, because they believe it will help them get more money in the long run. Like if the most popular teams keep getting the best players, it’s a win for all of us. Remember, every team gets a piece of the pie no matter how terrible they have been for decades.

I could harp on the Lakers always getting the best, they plunder the smaller teams all the time. But look at Us, how did teams allow Us to get KG, Ray, and PP on the same team? Look at the team we have now (probably the end). They let us get Jrue and KP, knowing we already had the Jays?! White wasn’t White when he snagged him. We haven’t been bad since that Chip and look at how much the team was worth because of it!

Sure, the Knicks had been terrible, but as soon as they started winning, teams were ready to give them what they wanted, no restrictions. They are about to try and push KD there, especially after Giannis is likely staying put.

When GSW started kicking ahh, they haven’t stopped finding ways to revamp. Snatched up KD, got top picks when they fell off. Got Wiggins (don’t remember how). Picked up Jimmy after failing to lure KD back.

Philly is always falling short, and live as disasters, but NBA did try to stop them from all that tanking. They got the picks for the best players, but they kept fumbling the bag. When they finally “lucked” into Embiid, they kept getting the other good players, the lakers don’t get. Sure, the injuries keep stalling them, but it hasn’t been for a lack of trying.

I know half+ of these teams are bring in top names as FA, but a lot of the time, those teams needed help to add the FA. I know, the team losing their players want something rather than nothing, but if those teams started saying we all agree we’re aren’t going to help with the sign and trades, those players wouldn’t be moving when they want to.


As I’m typing this out, I’m also starting to believe the players agree to this too! Money and lifestyle is a factor for them, but it has to be beneficial to the other teams because they could stop it if they really wanted to. So players win and the owners win.

LBJ: I’m going to the Heat! Surprise surprise, Cavs can build enough to bring him back home. Oh, so LBJ and Riley just happened to have a major clash over cookies? So much so that he’d jump ship after two chips? Remember, I’m arguing LBJ is like a team himself. Money man for the nba. When he goes to a team, they build them up with all the stars.

How in the living hell do the lakers get Luka for that light package and not get offers from other teams? Unheard of! I don’t care if Luka never gets better than he is now, the heck were the Mav’s thinking?

Spurs get the once in a generation talent. Surprise!

Mavs toss away Luka, #1 pick! Shocker!

If the bulls ever get it together again, I’ll be talking about talent being pushed to them too when they do. They have had good young players, they just haven’t found their wings like Philly did, since Rose(?). They still live off of MJ there will keep fans interested.

The smaller market teams will always get top players because of the draft structure, but it feels like they are the minor league, train up the future stars for the big boys!

With the amount of money and popularity Bronny brings, I see him on his own team in the finals before I see the NBA allowing another set of none fan favorites. Maybe a little exaggeration.

There is more I want to say, but I really want to hear from others. Do any of you think they are all in it together? I mean, it’s an organization, I get they are in it together. I’m talking about being in cahoots propping the popular teams. You see the ratings, I don’t see two small market teams meeting again for a while. If both are small market, one of them will have a generational talent on them. If Wemby remains healthy, he’ll be the next LBJ, Kobe, Jordan level guy. In the finals all the time.

Am I crazy? Another theory? What’s going on?!

I mean, it's been obvious for a long time the Lakers have been propped up.....The 2002 WCFs, the 2010 finals....Luka going there after not being shopped and then Dallas getting the #1 is just the latest thing.

It's a business, and Stern killed the FBI's investigation. Again, It's been obvious forever for anyone that looks at it with an open mind. Most people dismiss it because they enjoy the NBA and don't want it to be ruined.

I’d still watch it and treat it like wrestling, only because I picked one of the correct teams to be a fan of!

[FrodoFraggins]

I'll be honest, the only NBA conspiracies I believe in are the Ewing draft being rigged by the very top of league office(not owners) and refs doing their best to extend certain playoff series.

There's no way all owners would go along, and stay quiet all these years, about a rigged draft. Zero chance this wouldn't have leaked by now.

As far as the Luka trade goes, Nico is just an idiot with a massive ego. And they got obscenely lucky with the lottery.

Conspiracy theorists tend to only look at what fits their theories and ignore those that seem to disprove them.

[threrf23]

I think it's quite possible or even very likely that the league simply was concerned about losing it's Mavericks fans both in Dallas & abroad, more than they cared about Nico or had promised anyone anything or were rewarding Dallas for sending a superstar to a major market.

But I think it has been pretty obvious to most that the league has been manipulated for a good while, and no way that draft lottery was not fixed. What are the chances?