Luka?? To LA????

[pancakes3]

the players are worth what they're worth, like Nate said, but I think there are more moneyball execs now who think you don't need a big 3 to win, and can save cap and roster flexibility by configuring the roster differently.

but you also have teams like the Suns.

it's fun.

[AFM]

So...prediction on the Mavs success? They're obviously going all in on the next few years. Anyone think they can win a championship with AD and Kyrie?

[Rafael122]

the players are worth what they're worth, like Nate said, but I think there are more moneyball execs now who think you don't need a big 3 to win, and can save cap and roster flexibility by configuring the roster differently.

but you also have teams like the Suns.

it's fun.

I could see an analytics guy saying "if we split Luka's yearly salary into 3 guys, our projections tell us this." Issue is you're seeing players as line items, and ignoring Luka is like a 5 time all-star, all NBA and is only 25 lol.

[Kanyewest]

Here's the thing, and this is probably going to happen more frequently than you think. A lot of these teams don't want to dedicate paying 1/4 of a billion to one player. Look at Boston, Tatum's gonna get a mega deal, and between him and Brown, they're gonna be responsible for like 60% of the cap. It's rumored the reason why the owners are selling is because they don't want to deal with the luxury tax stuff. I wouldn't be shocked if Jaylen Brown is traded here within the next year to 18 months.

Luka is a top 3 player in this league. I would have never traded him but I understand the concerns they have. He's the typical show up to camp overweight but it will be in control once he plays himself into shape. Eventually that will catch up, it may not be now, but it will be in the future. Regarding this trade, how many teams have a) a top 10 player and b) out of those teams would trade for Luka straight up? Lakers are probably the only ones who would do it. MAYBE Cavs would trade Mitchell for him but I doubt it. It's clear the Mavs didn't want the poo poo platter of young prospects, picks and pick swaps so they decided to go the route of AD. Again, I never would have made this trade in a million years but I can see why they did it. You open it up to the league, you won't be happy with the offers, Luka may not get traded and now you have a strained relationship.

The Fox one, it's clear the Kings don't know what they're doing. Acquiring Lavine is their way of staying competitive when the obvious thing they should do is blow it up. They essentially traded Fox for 2 FRPs b/c the Charlotte one won't convey, but again...this goes back to they don't want to pay these guys $250+ million so they're trading them to teams that will.

The Celtics already committed 2 supermax salaries though in Tatum and Brown.

[Rafael122]

Here's the thing, and this is probably going to happen more frequently than you think. A lot of these teams don't want to dedicate paying 1/4 of a billion to one player. Look at Boston, Tatum's gonna get a mega deal, and between him and Brown, they're gonna be responsible for like 60% of the cap. It's rumored the reason why the owners are selling is because they don't want to deal with the luxury tax stuff. I wouldn't be shocked if Jaylen Brown is traded here within the next year to 18 months.

Luka is a top 3 player in this league. I would have never traded him but I understand the concerns they have. He's the typical show up to camp overweight but it will be in control once he plays himself into shape. Eventually that will catch up, it may not be now, but it will be in the future. Regarding this trade, how many teams have a) a top 10 player and b) out of those teams would trade for Luka straight up? Lakers are probably the only ones who would do it. MAYBE Cavs would trade Mitchell for him but I doubt it. It's clear the Mavs didn't want the poo poo platter of young prospects, picks and pick swaps so they decided to go the route of AD. Again, I never would have made this trade in a million years but I can see why they did it. You open it up to the league, you won't be happy with the offers, Luka may not get traded and now you have a strained relationship.

The Fox one, it's clear the Kings don't know what they're doing. Acquiring Lavine is their way of staying competitive when the obvious thing they should do is blow it up. They essentially traded Fox for 2 FRPs b/c the Charlotte one won't convey, but again...this goes back to they don't want to pay these guys $250+ million so they're trading them to teams that will.

The Celtics already committed 2 supermax salaries though in Tatum and Brown.

There's a 1 year overlap. This season, Tatum is still playing under his old contract. Next year is where the crunch comes in b/c you got Tatum and Brown taking up 69% of the cap, Holiday making $32 million, KP at $30 million, White at $28 million. It wouldn't shock me if Brown is traded where it brings back 2-3 guys to round out depth. It's not sustainable. I think NBA teams will move onto 1 guy who's the supermax, 1-2 in the 30-40 million range and everyone else is MLE type of money.

[The Consiglieri]

The funniest part of this is DAL sending LAL a 2025 2nd rounder. Like just incase it wasn't lopsided enough, please also take our pick.

Nah, I'd argue the funniest part is that Pelinka didn't simply say, "yes," within a milisecond of Harrison saying the words, "Anythony Davis for Luka....". He literally had the balls to say, "nah, we're not adding a '31 first, or pick swaps, and you gotta give us a future 2nd for fatty, he's gonna be hard to market in Ozempic LA".

That's absolutely insane to me, that that guy had the balls to give them back and forth quibbles for a month, when he should run out of the building immediately like the thief he clearly was.

[AFM]

https://digginbasketball.substack.com/p/the-day-after-luka-doncic-trade

“A person close to the situation described this trade as the ultimate Harrison power trip, calling him a power-hungry man. Another observer said Harrison removed anyone who held a different view.“

“There is a well-documented list of people close to Dončić who have left or were forced out since Harrison took over. Scott Tomlin, the team’s longtime VP of basketball communications. Casey Smith, the longtime athletic trainer, widely regarded as one of Dončić’s closest allies in the organization. Igor Kokoškov, an assistant coach during Kidd’s first year, was another departure. He coached Dončić to a EuroBasket title in 2017 and served as his pregame workout partner—a role he took over from Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley, another voice Dončić deeply respected. Jalen Brunson, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Boban Marjanović, three players Dončić respected and was close with, all left the Mavericks during Harrison’s tenure. Another person who had a short tenure in Dallas, not necessarily from Dončić's circle but well-respected around the league, was Dennis Lindsey, who left for Detroit in the summer.”

Team employees typically involved in processing such major decisions had no knowledge of the trade.

Harrison made it clear that he alone was making the decisions, while Kidd referred to it as "Nico’s vision."

[AFM]

Read on Twitter

It's possible this guy is just a comically bad GM. Like, lightyears worse than Ernie. Low IQ + big ego = recipe for disaster

[Dat2U]

This deal reminded me of Wes & Abe when they dealt C-Webb and only held conversations with Sacramento and didn't bother canvassing the league. Jerry West said later on, he would have offered Eddie Jones & Elden Campbell had he known about it lol.

[Kanyewest]

Bontemps on the hoop collective podcast questioned Nico Harrison's decision-making saying that he offered 2 first round picks for Kuzma

[willbcocks]

Maybe the reported kuzma deal was real?? I never understood why anyone would give us anything for kuzma, but here you go.

[Frichuela]

Maybe the reported kuzma deal was real?? I never understood why anyone would give us anything for kuzma, but here you go.

It looks that way, which is annoying as I don't understand why Dawkins did not pull the trigger then. Big blunder in that case.

[pancakes3]

the only team dumber than Dallas for making the Luka trade is us for rejecting the Kuzma trade smh

[The Consiglieri]

Read on Twitter

It's possible this guy is just a comically bad GM. Like, lightyears worse than Ernie. Low IQ + big ego = recipe for disaster

Someone said he was some Nike shoe dip----. Is he not even a guy w/a career in scouting?

How in ---- did he get a GM gig? Like, can we just hire Golf Pro's to be GM's too now? History teachers like me? I could handle Dallas better than he has, in between grading my 4th and 8th period projects.

[The Consiglieri]

the only team dumber than Dallas for making the Luka trade is us for rejecting the Kuzma trade smh

Nah, as bad as not grabbing the firsts for Kuzma was, that wasn't moving any needle in terms of a top 5 guy in the NBA. They just shipped out a top 5 guy for the carcass of a guy who hasn't been a top 5 guy in years and is only getting worse and more injury prone w/each passing year.

Our failed trade is chairs on the titanic stupidity.

Theirs is franchise ending stupidity. This is trading the rights for Magic Johnson, for Gail freaking Goodrich level stupid, this is trading pick swaps & multiple picks in elite drafts for a couple of 39 year old has beens like New Jersey did a decade ago level bad, but even worse, because at least that was speculatively bad. This is patently obvious level bad, right here, right now.

Insane.

[closg00]

In one sense you gotta admire LA for grabbing their Super Star and face of the franchise for the future, Bron is on his way out...

[pancakes3]

the only team dumber than Dallas for making the Luka trade is us for rejecting the Kuzma trade smh

Nah, as bad as not grabbing the firsts for Kuzma was, that wasn't moving any needle in terms of a top 5 guy in the NBA. They just shipped out a top 5 guy for the carcass of a guy who hasn't been a top 5 guy in years and is only getting worse and more injury prone w/each passing year.

Our failed trade is chairs on the titanic stupidity.

Theirs is franchise ending stupidity. This is trading the rights for Magic Johnson, for Gail freaking Goodrich level stupid, this is trading pick swaps & multiple picks in elite drafts for a couple of 39 year old has beens like New Jersey did a decade ago level bad, but even worse, because at least that was speculatively bad. This is patently obvious level bad, right here, right now.

Insane.

i wasn't comparing the trades. i was lamenting that we couldn't even fool the dummy who's on the level of franchise-ending stupidity.

[LyricalRico]

Ernie Grunfeld, you are no longer the worst GM in NBA history.

That's right, put some respect on my guy's name!

[LyricalRico]

Is LeBron next? Is this a palinka grew balls and was tired of LeBron and and klutch dictating what they do? Labeon to GS?

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I immediately thought the same thing. Not speaking about LeBron specifically, Stephen A said today that this trade was a message from the league to the players. And this is after Miami has taken a hardline stance with Jimmy Butler. Start of a trend?

[gambitx777]

Is LeBron next? Is this a palinka grew balls and was tired of LeBron and and klutch dictating what they do? Labeon to GS?

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I immediately thought the same thing. Not speaking about LeBron specifically, Stephen A said today that this trade was a message from the league to the players. And this is after Miami has taken a hardline stance with Jimmy Butler. Start of a trend?

Well with the new cap rules this is a hard cap in everything but name. Or as close to as the NBA will ever get.

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