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The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning…

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The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#1 » by Shak_Celts » Sat Jun 14, 2025 7:42 pm

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. :lol: 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. :lol:

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?!
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#2 » by Smart2Nesmith43 » Sat Jun 14, 2025 9:42 pm

OKC or Indiana is going to win this title. Denver and Milwaukee have won one in the last five years. The second apron has basically killed the spending advantage of the big market teams and this new CBA has also killed free agency (at least for star players). If the NBA is trying to push the big brand franchises, it's doing a spectacularly bad job.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#3 » by hugepatsfan » Sat Jun 14, 2025 9:50 pm

If the league wants to fix it so certain teams are relevant, we're probably one of them. i wouldn't worry about it.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#4 » by Curmudgeon » Sat Jun 14, 2025 10:01 pm

I do think the draft lottery is rigged. If it were not they would hold the drawings in public. I believe that Dallas was compensated this year for sending Luka to the Lakers.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#5 » by lon3lytoaster » Sat Jun 14, 2025 10:21 pm

Curmudgeon wrote:I do think the draft lottery is rigged. If it were not they would hold the drawings in public. I believe that Dallas was compensated this year for sending Luka to the Lakers.


There’s also a pretty decent history of new owners who paid (at the time) a record price or saved a franchise from collapse of getting the #1 pick.

Dallas had that and gifted Luka to LA for what was in all intents and purposes just matching salary.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#6 » by Shak_Celts » Sun Jun 15, 2025 12:31 am

Smart2Nesmith43 wrote:OKC or Indiana is going to win this title. Denver and Milwaukee have won one in the last five years. The second apron has basically killed the spending advantage of the big market teams and this new CBA has also killed free agency (at least for star players). If the NBA is trying to push the big brand franchises, it's doing a spectacularly bad job.


Maybe, I’m just throwing things at the wall. No games, no Celtics, no team I want to lose the finals.

Didn’t hurt Den and now OKC have MVPs on them. Maybe pacers pull it out? We’ll see.

Guys are aging out, they have to find their next guy to be the face, they’ll start forcing him down our throats soon enough. If not a Celtics, I hope it’s Wemby lol.

It seems like they want it to be “Ant Jordan.” They haven’t gotten him the right mix (new team) yet. Minny better figure it out, the big teams are ready to “call him up.” Ant Jordan, a future Bulls? :D


I already know they are about to go full out for the lakers. The teams they want to win are getting old, GSW and the LBJs, this coming season is the start of how they want to try to send them off with a bang? With whatever time they have left, I wonder how many championship pushes they can squeeze out of Curry and LBJ.

The teams and players won’t win all the time, but the majority of championships will continue circling those handful of teams/players.

Spurs better win with Wemby in the next 5 or so seasons before he gets a call up. Healthy Wemby is his own team. They want the Spurs to win again with him. They will shift him out of there if he doesn’t start soon. You see the Spurs are starting to load up around rim. Spurs were a dynasty, that team counts because of that, but they won’t let him lose too long with them (health tho). Wemby on the Celtics sounds nice. Wemby and Luka Lakers would destroy my soul tho. Blegh.

I wonder what Pat The Rat has up his sleeve these next few seasons. I forgot about him. He’s his own team too.

Teams are choosing to shed top guys but as I said, they’ll be right back to winning and stacking them shortly. They’ll dodge repeaters and fill up again. Celtics can tear it down then a couple seasons from now other fanbases will be upset at us getting all the good players.

They didn’t make it impossible to stack teams, they made windows shorter. Watch, the teams that always win will be winning again.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#7 » by Shak_Celts » Sun Jun 15, 2025 12:32 am

lon3lytoaster wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:I do think the draft lottery is rigged. If it were not they would hold the drawings in public. I believe that Dallas was compensated this year for sending Luka to the Lakers.


There’s also a pretty decent history of new owners who paid (at the time) a record price or saved a franchise from collapse of getting the #1 pick.

Dallas had that and gifted Luka to LA for what was in all intents and purposes just matching salary.


So, Celtics are getting #1 next season? Meh, I don’t want to lose for it. :lol:
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#8 » by Curmudgeon » Sun Jun 15, 2025 12:37 am

Shak_Celts wrote:
lon3lytoaster wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:I do think the draft lottery is rigged. If it were not they would hold the drawings in public. I believe that Dallas was compensated this year for sending Luka to the Lakers.


There’s also a pretty decent history of new owners who paid (at the time) a record price or saved a franchise from collapse of getting the #1 pick.

Dallas had that and gifted Luka to LA for what was in all intents and purposes just matching salary.


So, Celtics are getting #1 next season? Meh, I don’t want to lose for it. :lol:


Yes, but he'll die on draft night from an overdose.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#9 » by ryan in Maine » Sun Jun 15, 2025 1:29 am

Kevin McHale gifted us Kevin Garnett.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#10 » by Shak_Celts » Sun Jun 15, 2025 2:10 am

Curmudgeon wrote:
Shak_Celts wrote:
lon3lytoaster wrote:
There’s also a pretty decent history of new owners who paid (at the time) a record price or saved a franchise from collapse of getting the #1 pick.

Dallas had that and gifted Luka to LA for what was in all intents and purposes just matching salary.


So, Celtics are getting #1 next season? Meh, I don’t want to lose for it. :lol:


Yes, but he'll die on draft night from an overdose.

I wasn’t a fan then. Too soon!
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#11 » by Shak_Celts » Sun Jun 15, 2025 2:11 am

ryan in Maine wrote:Kevin McHale gifted us Kevin Garnett.

Find someone to gift us Jokic.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#12 » by playa-hater » Sun Jun 15, 2025 2:47 pm

I believe the lottery is absolutely rigged at certain times when the need arises. And I believe the league itself rigs certain things. I just don't know if the actual owners are in agreement or aware of many of the things.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#13 » by DarkAzcura » Sun Jun 15, 2025 5:00 pm

Curmudgeon wrote:I do think the draft lottery is rigged. If it were not they would hold the drawings in public. I believe that Dallas was compensated this year for sending Luka to the Lakers.


The lottery is always made public afterwards and viewable by anyone. Ernst and Young aren’t risking their reputation to rig a lottery for the NBA.

playa-hater wrote:I believe the lottery is absolutely rigged at certain times when the need arises. And I believe the league itself rigs certain things. I just don't know if the actual owners are in agreement or aware of many of the things.


See above. Also if there is a time to rig the lottery, they aren’t sending three of the best American prospects since LeBron to the Pelicans (Anthony Davis and Zion) and the Mavs (Flagg).
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#14 » by Shak_Celts » Sun Jun 15, 2025 7:24 pm

DarkAzcura wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:I do think the draft lottery is rigged. If it were not they would hold the drawings in public. I believe that Dallas was compensated this year for sending Luka to the Lakers.


The lottery is always made public afterwards and viewable by anyone. Ernst and Young aren’t risking their reputation to rig a lottery for the NBA.

playa-hater wrote:I believe the lottery is absolutely rigged at certain times when the need arises. And I believe the league itself rigs certain things. I just don't know if the actual owners are in agreement or aware of many of the things.


See above. Also if there is a time to rig the lottery, they aren’t sending three of the best American prospects since LeBron to the Pelicans (Anthony Davis and Zion) and the Mavs (Flagg).


Why wouldn’t they send them to the minors? The only questionable organization is the Pels, but it worked fine for Davis as he moved up to the majors. Zion will probably be out of there soon too.

They lose their young stars, but they are immediately rewarded with the next best thing, for his minor league days. It’s happened many times.

Look at Wemby to the Spurs. Coincidence? Maybe. The lotto is random, but it keeps landing a certain way. Weird.


LBJ to the Cavs? SMH


Edit again: the next Shaq, Dwight Howard, just so happens to be eligible when Mage can pick him #1.

:lol:
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#15 » by playa-hater » Sun Jun 15, 2025 8:02 pm

Shak_Celts wrote:
DarkAzcura wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:I do think the draft lottery is rigged. If it were not they would hold the drawings in public. I believe that Dallas was compensated this year for sending Luka to the Lakers.


The lottery is always made public afterwards and viewable by anyone. Ernst and Young aren’t risking their reputation to rig a lottery for the NBA.

playa-hater wrote:I believe the lottery is absolutely rigged at certain times when the need arises. And I believe the league itself rigs certain things. I just don't know if the actual owners are in agreement or aware of many of the things.


See above. Also if there is a time to rig the lottery, they aren’t sending three of the best American prospects since LeBron to the Pelicans (Anthony Davis and Zion) and the Mavs (Flagg).


Why wouldn’t they send them to the minors? The only questionable organization is the Pels, but it worked fine for Davis as he moved up to the majors. Zion will probably be out of there soon too.

They lose their young stars, but they are immediately rewarded with the next best thing, for his minor league days. It’s happened many times.

Look at Wemby to the Spurs. Coincidence? Maybe. The lotto is random, but it keeps landing a certain way. Weird.


LBJ to the Cavs? SMH



Edit again: the next Shaq, Dwight Howard, just so happens to be eligible when Mage can pick him #1.

:lol:


Don't forget the first one. Patrick Ewing to the Knicks.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#16 » by Smart2Nesmith43 » Sun Jun 15, 2025 8:13 pm

DarkAzcura wrote:
Curmudgeon wrote:I do think the draft lottery is rigged. If it were not they would hold the drawings in public. I believe that Dallas was compensated this year for sending Luka to the Lakers.


The lottery is always made public afterwards and viewable by anyone. Ernst and Young aren’t risking their reputation to rig a lottery for the NBA.

playa-hater wrote:I believe the lottery is absolutely rigged at certain times when the need arises. And I believe the league itself rigs certain things. I just don't know if the actual owners are in agreement or aware of many of the things.


See above. Also if there is a time to rig the lottery, they aren’t sending three of the best American prospects since LeBron to the Pelicans (Anthony Davis and Zion) and the Mavs (Flagg).

You don't think EY is risking the entire reputation of a business that rakes in 50 billions in annual revenue just to push Risacher to the Hawks ?
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#17 » by Shak_Celts » Mon Jun 16, 2025 2:36 am

playa-hater wrote:
Shak_Celts wrote:
DarkAzcura wrote:
The lottery is always made public afterwards and viewable by anyone. Ernst and Young aren’t risking their reputation to rig a lottery for the NBA.



See above. Also if there is a time to rig the lottery, they aren’t sending three of the best American prospects since LeBron to the Pelicans (Anthony Davis and Zion) and the Mavs (Flagg).


Why wouldn’t they send them to the minors? The only questionable organization is the Pels, but it worked fine for Davis as he moved up to the majors. Zion will probably be out of there soon too.

They lose their young stars, but they are immediately rewarded with the next best thing, for his minor league days. It’s happened many times.

Look at Wemby to the Spurs. Coincidence? Maybe. The lotto is random, but it keeps landing a certain way. Weird.


LBJ to the Cavs? SMH



Edit again: the next Shaq, Dwight Howard, just so happens to be eligible when Mage can pick him #1.

:lol:


Don't forget the first one. Patrick Ewing to the Knicks.

I’m not saying it’s rigged, but there are a lot of coincidences happening.

There are more that we haven’t named.

2010, LBJ bolts to Miami, 2011 Kyrie is picked #1 overall. I wonder who got #1… jk, it was the Cavs! :D
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#18 » by playa-hater » Mon Jun 16, 2025 2:49 pm

Shak_Celts wrote:
playa-hater wrote:
Shak_Celts wrote:
Why wouldn’t they send them to the minors? The only questionable organization is the Pels, but it worked fine for Davis as he moved up to the majors. Zion will probably be out of there soon too.

They lose their young stars, but they are immediately rewarded with the next best thing, for his minor league days. It’s happened many times.

Look at Wemby to the Spurs. Coincidence? Maybe. The lotto is random, but it keeps landing a certain way. Weird.


LBJ to the Cavs? SMH



Edit again: the next Shaq, Dwight Howard, just so happens to be eligible when Mage can pick him #1.

:lol:


Don't forget the first one. Patrick Ewing to the Knicks.

I’m not saying it’s rigged, but there are a lot of coincidences happening.

There are more that we haven’t named.

2010, LBJ bolts to Miami, 2011 Kyrie is picked #1 overall. I wonder who got #1… jk, it was the Cavs! :D


Coincidences can certainly happen. But not that many. It's the same like people believing the Vegas slot machines can not be rigged. There are ways to hide the method I am sure. Same for the NBA lottery.
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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#19 » by Bad-Thoma » Wed Jun 18, 2025 1:27 pm

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Re: The Luka Trade Has Me Questioning… 

Post#20 » by playa-hater » Wed Jun 18, 2025 4:50 pm

Bad-Thoma wrote:Image


Hey, nice to you to show your face around here..
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