What if the Lakers offered Luka Doncic to the Mavs for Cooper Flagg

[zero rings]

Odds are very, very slim that Flagg sniffs close to what Luka has accomplished.

And what has Luka accomplished?

Barely anything. Flagg's college resume is probably more impressive than this...

This is just playoffs.... Through 6 seasons.

-First player in NBA history to:

record multiple 30-point triple-doubles at the age of 22 or younger.
record 250+ points, 70+ rebounds, and 70+ assists through their first eight career playoff games.
record two triple-doubles with a game-winning three-pointer in the final five seconds in an NBA playoff game.
record at least 150 rebounds, 150 assists and 50 3-point field goals in a single postseason.
lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, and assists entering the NBA Finals.
lead the playoffs in points, rebounds, assists and steals.

-Second player in NBA history to record:

70 total points in their first two career playoff games (George Mikan, 75 points in 1949).
two triple-doubles in their first four career playoff games (Magic Johnson).
40+ points, and 14+ assists in a playoff game (LeBron James).

-Third player in NBA history to record:

300+ points through their first nine career playoff games (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan).

-Fourth player in NBA history to record:

600+ points, 150+ rebounds, and 150+ assists in a single postseason (Nikola Jokić, LeBron James, Larry Bird).

-Fifth player in NBA history to:

have 40+ points and hit a buzzer-beater in a playoff game (Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Damian Lillard).
average at least 30 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists in a playoff series (Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Russell Westbrook, LeBron James).

-Sixth player in NBA history to:

lead their team in points, rebounds, and assists while reaching the NBA Finals (Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, LeBron James, Nikola Jokić, Jayson Tatum).

-Most games with 30+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a single season (regular season and playoffs), with 55.

Obviously, Luka is great at stuffing the stat sheet, but these are some of the most absurdly specific milestones I've ever seen lol. Where do you come up with this stuff?

[Dick Tate]

The Mavs would obviously say no. From their perspective, they just traded Luka to avoid paying him the supermax because they didn't like his defense or trust his work ethic. Why would they now want to do the thing they don't want to do, and lose Flagg in the process?

They could flip Luka for another top 10 player, which is more than they'd get for Flagg.

[zero rings]

The Mavs would obviously say no. From their perspective, they just traded Luka to avoid paying him the supermax because they didn't like his defense or trust his work ethic. Why would they now want to do the thing they don't want to do, and lose Flagg in the process?

They could flip Luka for another top 10 player, which is more than they'd get for Flagg.

Mavs are refusing to trade Flagg for GIANNIS lol

Jokic and SGA are probably the only two players Mavs would flip him for, and they're not available.

Edit: and Wemby

[Archx]

Obviously, Luka is great at stuffing the stat sheet, but these are some of the most absurdly specific milestones I've ever seen lol. Where do you come up with this stuff?

Question was, compared to Flagg what has Luka accomplished. Yeah these are specific stats, but those are just a small fraction of what he has already accomplished on individual and team level. Combined with his EU career it would probably already get him into HOF if he retires today. So again.. what has Flagg won so far?

[FrodoBaggins]

No one said Luka wasn't talented. I just think he may fall short of expectations. There's a very real chance he could end up with no MVPs, championships, and FMVPs. These are, of course, crude measurements for a player's impact, but with the way some of you speak of him, the expectations must be high. His talent is special, but it takes more than that. Hard work. Commitment. Dedication.

[Dick Tate]

The Mavs would obviously say no. From their perspective, they just traded Luka to avoid paying him the supermax because they didn't like his defense or trust his work ethic. Why would they now want to do the thing they don't want to do, and lose Flagg in the process?

They could flip Luka for another top 10 player, which is more than they'd get for Flagg.

Mavs are refusing to trade Flagg for GIANNIS lol

Jokic and SGA are probably the only two players Mavs would flip him for, and they're not available.

Edit: and Wemby

Giannis wasn't available either. Can you name a top 10 player who would be available for Flagg? I'm just playing along with this dopey thread premise.

[Raps in 4]

If I'm Pelinka, I come in with a counter offer of Reaves + '31 FRP. I don't see how Nico says no to that.

[zero rings]

They could flip Luka for another top 10 player, which is more than they'd get for Flagg.

Mavs are refusing to trade Flagg for GIANNIS lol

Jokic and SGA are probably the only two players Mavs would flip him for, and they're not available.

Edit: and Wemby

Giannis wasn't available either. Can you name a top 10 player who would be available for Flagg? I'm just playing along with this dopey thread premise.

The Mavs aren't interested in just another top 10 player for next season. They would be looking for a better long-term asset than Flagg, and only Wemby, SGA, and Jokic meet the cutoff imo. Everyone else is either too old or not good enough to justify it.

[zero rings]

Obviously, Luka is great at stuffing the stat sheet, but these are some of the most absurdly specific milestones I've ever seen lol. Where do you come up with this stuff?

Question was, compared to Flagg what has Luka accomplished. Yeah these are specific stats, but those are just a small fraction of what he has already accomplished on individual and team level. Combined with his EU career it would probably already get him into HOF if he retires today. So again.. what has Flagg won so far?

A player's value is not determined by his past accomplishments, but rather what he can do for you going forward. Clearly the Mavs are not that optimistic about Luka going forward.

[Iwasawitness]

Not related to the OP but I found it funny that the Davis-Doncic trade had it's own Wikipedia page.

[Archx]

Obviously, Luka is great at stuffing the stat sheet, but these are some of the most absurdly specific milestones I've ever seen lol. Where do you come up with this stuff?

Question was, compared to Flagg what has Luka accomplished. Yeah these are specific stats, but those are just a small fraction of what he has already accomplished on individual and team level. Combined with his EU career it would probably already get him into HOF if he retires today. So again.. what has Flagg won so far?

A player's value is not determined by his past accomplishments, but rather what he can do for you going forward. Clearly the Mavs are not that optimistic about Luka going forward.

Unfortunately Mavs were optimistic with Luka but Nico wasn't. He wanted to have his own team with his own guys so he got rid of everyone who basically had more power than him. That is well documented by now. And then he made up some stupid excuses along the way for the media. The old team would have been insanely competitive in these playoffs, but it is what it is.

[zero rings]

Question was, compared to Flagg what has Luka accomplished. Yeah these are specific stats, but those are just a small fraction of what he has already accomplished on individual and team level. Combined with his EU career it would probably already get him into HOF if he retires today. So again.. what has Flagg won so far?

A player's value is not determined by his past accomplishments, but rather what he can do for you going forward. Clearly the Mavs are not that optimistic about Luka going forward.

Unfortunately Mavs were optimistic with Luka but Nico wasn't. He wanted to have his own team with his own guys so he got rid of everyone who basically had more power than him. That is well documented by now. And then he made up some stupid excuses along the way for the media. The old team would have been insanely competitive in these playoffs, but it is what it is.

I promise you Nico was not the only one in the building who was fed up with the Luka experience. The owners were clearly on board with it, at a minimum.

The guy is woefully out of shape for a 26-year-old in his prime, and he acts like a petulant child on the court. He's constantly whining to the refs, his body language is terrible, and he gives up on defensive plays whenever things aren't going his way. Oh, and he's always dealing with some sort of injury.

You can definitely argue that the production justifies tolerating all this stuff, but he gave the Mavs plenty of reasons to doubt him going forward.

If he doesn't clean up his act, I give it a year before Lakers fans start to turn on him.

[bkkrh]

Well if the Lakers Assistant GM has enough stars in trade and the right perks they might be able to steal a few 2nd rounders as well by trading Luka and Flagg back and forth a few times in a row. Or are you not talking about 2k GM mode? I doubt that real life Luka will be as forgiving as video game Luka.

[Archx]

A player's value is not determined by his past accomplishments, but rather what he can do for you going forward. Clearly the Mavs are not that optimistic about Luka going forward.

Unfortunately Mavs were optimistic with Luka but Nico wasn't. He wanted to have his own team with his own guys so he got rid of everyone who basically had more power than him. That is well documented by now. And then he made up some stupid excuses along the way for the media. The old team would have been insanely competitive in these playoffs, but it is what it is.

I promise you Nico was not the only one in the building who was fed up with the Luka experience. The owners were clearly on board with it, at a minimum.

The guy is woefully out of shape for a 26-year-old in his prime, and he acts like a petulant child on the court. He's constantly whining to the refs, his body language is terrible, and he gives up on defensive plays whenever things aren't going his way. Oh, and he's always dealing with some sort of injury.

You can definitely argue that the production justifies tolerating all this stuff, but he gave the Mavs plenty of reasons to doubt him going forward.

If he doesn't clean up his act, I give it a year before Lakers fans start to turn on him.

I follow Mavs since... the Dirk days. I know a lot about that team. It's WAY TOO much to write here because i'm honestly not in the mood to write a 2 page essay lol. But please, go and read what 3 reporters who are deeply connected with the team wrote. They basically came to same conclusions after they did a comprehensive review and also made a ton of interviews with past and current Mavs staff. I promise you, Nico was covering his own ass while trying to direct the attention from what was really happening behind the scenes. Tim Cato, MacMahon and Gareth Asfeth. Look up their articles and check it out for yourself. Dumont is a completely clueless owner who got played by Nico and Nico even managed to push out Cuban and Dirk, that's already a huge red sign.

And about Luka's fitness. I guess you haven't seen how he looks now after he got the time to heal and work out. Lakers fans are already joking he needs to go back and start eating more lol.

[ChumboChappati]

hypothetically, if the Lakers offered Luka Doncic for Cooper Flagg, should the Mavs do it?

Win-Now
The Mavericks wants to win another title NOW. Their entire roster construction, timeline, and aspirations are built around maximizing Luka's prime to win championships now. Keeping Cooper Flagg instantly shifts the Mavs into a multi-year rebuilding phase, abandoning their current championship window. Imagine a trio of Anthony Davis - Kyrie Irving - Luka Doncic.

Marketability and Fan Base
Luka is a global superstar and the face of the franchise, until now. Trading Luka has caused massive fan outrage and significantly damaged the team's brand and marketability. Ticket sales, merchandise, and local interest have plummet.

The Proven vs. Potential Chasm is Vast
Luka Dončić is a 5x All-NBA First Team selection (by age 25!), MVP finalist, franchise cornerstone, and one of the best offensive engines the league has ever seen. He's a proven elite scorer, playmaker, and rebounder who single-handedly elevates a team to playoff contention. He's in his prime.

Cooper Flagg is an exceptionally talented prospect with superstar *potential*. He projects as an elite defender and versatile offensive player. However, he has **zero** NBA experience. History is littered with "can't miss" prospects who didn't reach superstar levels (or even All-Star levels) due to injury, fit, development issues, or simply the difficulty of the NBA transition.

The Risk is Monumental
Trading for a guaranteed top-5 NBA player is a massive win for the Mavs. If Flagg becomes "only" a very good All-Star (not the MVP-level player Luka already is), keeping Cooper will be a catastrophic failure for the Mavs. If Flagg busts (unlikely but possible), it sets the franchise back a decade.

I expect Luka to veto such a trade. After what he has suffered, he can only say yes to Dallas if the team is sold to another owner who changes the management team and starts fresh.

[SkyBill40]

hypothetically, if the Lakers offered Luka Doncic for Cooper Flagg, should the Mavs do it?

Win-Now
The Mavericks wants to win another title NOW. Their entire roster construction, timeline, and aspirations are built around maximizing Luka's prime to win championships now. Keeping Cooper Flagg instantly shifts the Mavs into a multi-year rebuilding phase, abandoning their current championship window. Imagine a trio of Anthony Davis - Kyrie Irving - Luka Doncic.

Marketability and Fan Base
Luka is a global superstar and the face of the franchise, until now. Trading Luka has caused massive fan outrage and significantly damaged the team's brand and marketability. Ticket sales, merchandise, and local interest have plummet.

The Proven vs. Potential Chasm is Vast
Luka Dončić is a 5x All-NBA First Team selection (by age 25!), MVP finalist, franchise cornerstone, and one of the best offensive engines the league has ever seen. He's a proven elite scorer, playmaker, and rebounder who single-handedly elevates a team to playoff contention. He's in his prime.

Cooper Flagg is an exceptionally talented prospect with superstar *potential*. He projects as an elite defender and versatile offensive player. However, he has **zero** NBA experience. History is littered with "can't miss" prospects who didn't reach superstar levels (or even All-Star levels) due to injury, fit, development issues, or simply the difficulty of the NBA transition.

The Risk is Monumental
Trading for a guaranteed top-5 NBA player is a massive win for the Mavs. If Flagg becomes "only" a very good All-Star (not the MVP-level player Luka already is), keeping Cooper will be a catastrophic failure for the Mavs. If Flagg busts (unlikely but possible), it sets the franchise back a decade.

I expect Luka to veto such a trade. After what he has suffered, he can only say yes to Dallas if the team is sold to another owner who changes the management team and starts fresh.

Ahh, but there's the rub: Doncic doesn't have a no trade clause. But the CBA does prohibit him being moved back to the Mavs that quickly:

"An NBA player who is traded away cannot return to their original team during the same season. They can only return if the one-year anniversary of the trade or the July 1 following the end of their contract (whichever comes first) has passed, according to NBA rules. This restriction applies even if the player is waived by their new team."

[Rubios]

Stupider than the stupidest trade ever made, but the other way around.

[M2J]

No sorry... Nico won the trade. No take backs

[BmanInBigD]

No one said Luka wasn't talented. I just think he may fall short of expectations. There's a very real chance he could end up with no MVPs, championships, and FMVPs. These are, of course, crude measurements for a player's impact, but with the way some of you speak of him, the expectations must be high. His talent is special, but it takes more than that. Hard work. Commitment. Dedication.

You must not have been paying attention for the last, oh, 6-7 years. 5-time First-team All-NBA. At 26. 5X 1st-team All-NBA. Not to mention taking very flawed rosters to WCF 2x and NBA Finals. All those nebulous other stats notwithstanding, these alone are matched by VERY few players. Especially ones that are 19 yrs old.