If Texas had allowed Casino gambling, Luka would still be with Mavs

[dirkdiggler4177]

This is just dumb. Most likely Harrison saw that teams like the Celtics and Nuggets would struggle to keep their team together because of the super-max, making their window for a championship. Looking at past champs in Curry, LeBron, Dirk, Kobe, Tatum, and Jokic they all have one thing in common and that is great work ethic. Luka does not seem to have that. While also gaining weight not being able to handle injuries and also being very emotional, my guess is he saw Luka as more of a Harden/Barkley type of player than a Kobe.

[Cactus Jack]

Those teams moved from cities that had poor fan or municipal support. Dallas dont have either problem, and much bigger than Seattle or Vancouver markets.

If anything, they've proven to prefer smaller markets without competition from the NFL, MLB, and the NHL (Sacramento, SLC, OKC. etc.).

Sacramento is two hours from bay area nfl and mlb teams, they certainly have competition. OKC has college football, which is bigger than NFL is in most places.

Sizeable market with fan support and a newer stadium are two criteria. Dallas has both.

The point I'm trying to make is that they've targeted specific markets where they are the only big show in town with no NFL to have to compete against.

Yes, the arena is a big component. Heck, LA went two decades without an NFL team for that specific reason. Seattle also had similar issues.

But if you look at the most recent relocations, the common theme are markets with less competition. OKC, Memphis, Sacramento, SLC. This is just a fact.

[Archx]

This is just dumb. Most likely Harrison saw that teams like the Celtics and Nuggets would struggle to keep their team together because of the super-max, making their window for a championship. Looking at past champs in Curry, LeBron, Dirk, Kobe, Tatum, and Jokic they all have one thing in common and that is great work ethic. Luka does not seem to have that. While also gaining weight not being able to handle injuries and also being very emotional, my guess is he saw Luka as more of a Harden/Barkley type of player than a Kobe.

So, the best way was to deal him under the table for minimal return?

Speaking about work ethic. You're suppose to be Mavs fan and don't realize he came last year in his best shape while working with the same trainer over the summer that Nico fired before this season started. How does that make sense? That's a huge slap in the face for your franchise player.

Also, how does it make sense that GSW is prepared to pay 60M for (to be) 37yo Butler yet Mavs couldn't pay 10M more for Luka. Work ethics? Lol, who would believe that other than Nico trying to save his own ass before general public.

[El Turco]

If anything, they've proven to prefer smaller markets without competition from the NFL, MLB, and the NHL (Sacramento, SLC, OKC. etc.).

Sacramento is two hours from bay area nfl and mlb teams, they certainly have competition. OKC has college football, which is bigger than NFL is in most places.

Sizeable market with fan support and a newer stadium are two criteria. Dallas has both.

The point I'm trying to make is that they've targeted specific markets where they are the only big show in town with no NFL to have to compete against.

Yes, the arena is a big component. Heck, LA went two decades without an NFL team for that specific reason. Seattle also had similar issues.

But if you look at the most recent relocations, the common theme are markets with less competition. OKC, Memphis, Sacramento, SLC. This is just a fact.

Lol Kings moved 40 years ago. Jazz 45. Bigger markets already had teams, did you expect them to relocate to New York, Los Angeles or Chicago as 2nd or 3rd teams?

I am not saying they wouldnt have a team in Vegas or any similar markets. I am just saying it wont be Dallas, elements that led to other relocations dont exist here.

[dirkdiggler4177]

This is just dumb. Most likely Harrison saw that teams like the Celtics and Nuggets would struggle to keep their team together because of the super-max, making their window for a championship. Looking at past champs in Curry, LeBron, Dirk, Kobe, Tatum, and Jokic they all have one thing in common and that is great work ethic. Luka does not seem to have that. While also gaining weight not being able to handle injuries and also being very emotional, my guess is he saw Luka as more of a Harden/Barkley type of player than a Kobe.

So, the best way was to deal him under the table for minimal return?

Speaking about work ethic. You're suppose to be Mavs fan and don't realize he came last year in his best shape while working with the same trainer over the summer that Nico fired before this season started. How does that make sense? That's a huge slap in the face for your franchise player.

Also, how does it make sense that GSW is prepared to pay 60M for (to be) 37yo Butler yet Mavs couldn't pay 10M more for Luka. Work ethics? Lol, who would believe that other than Nico trying to save his own ass before general public.

I don't think it makes sense either, but for that family to say, let's trade Luka so the value of the franchise can decrease and we can move it to Las Vegas makes so little sense. Now the franchise is valued much less while also the chance of moving to Las Vegas seems extremely low. Like Dallas is a huge city. There are so many other teams that are better off moving to LV, or just starting a new franchise.

You must also consider the Mavs got all the info on Luka's injuries. I would assume every team put a ton of money into doctors analyzing and predicting how healthy their future will be. The worst thing to happen is another Kawhi situation.

Again, I'm not for the trade at all.

[Archx]

This is just dumb. Most likely Harrison saw that teams like the Celtics and Nuggets would struggle to keep their team together because of the super-max, making their window for a championship. Looking at past champs in Curry, LeBron, Dirk, Kobe, Tatum, and Jokic they all have one thing in common and that is great work ethic. Luka does not seem to have that. While also gaining weight not being able to handle injuries and also being very emotional, my guess is he saw Luka as more of a Harden/Barkley type of player than a Kobe.

So, the best way was to deal him under the table for minimal return?

Speaking about work ethic. You're suppose to be Mavs fan and don't realize he came last year in his best shape while working with the same trainer over the summer that Nico fired before this season started. How does that make sense? That's a huge slap in the face for your franchise player.

Also, how does it make sense that GSW is prepared to pay 60M for (to be) 37yo Butler yet Mavs couldn't pay 10M more for Luka. Work ethics? Lol, who would believe that other than Nico trying to save his own ass before general public.

I don't think it makes sense either, but for that family to say, let's trade Luka so the value of the franchise can decrease and we can move it to Las Vegas makes so little sense. Now the franchise is valued much less while also the chance of moving to Las Vegas seems extremely low. Like Dallas is a huge city. There are so many other teams that are better off moving to LV, or just starting a new franchise.

Isn't that suppose to be the plan though? Tanking the value of a franchise so you can move it easier. That's what people with more knowledge are saying is possibly their tactic. I have personally no clue what will happen but the way this deal went down and reports that Nico doesn't even have the will to stay with Mavs long term... that is some shady stuff.

Look at Zion, Ja, Melo (running kids over with his car and often injured), Embiid, etc...All these guys have huge injury problems and their teams didn't or don't want to trade their face franchise even though they're causing a ton of problems for them. Spurs didn't want to trade Kawhi even when he started having huge injury issues himself and only did it when he basically forced his way out.

But again, i have no clue what will really happen, the whole situation is beyond weird.

[Optimus_Steel]

If Nico wasn’t such a bootlicker for his mentor they would still have Luka.

[dirkdiggler4177]

So, the best way was to deal him under the table for minimal return?

Speaking about work ethic. You're suppose to be Mavs fan and don't realize he came last year in his best shape while working with the same trainer over the summer that Nico fired before this season started. How does that make sense? That's a huge slap in the face for your franchise player.

Also, how does it make sense that GSW is prepared to pay 60M for (to be) 37yo Butler yet Mavs couldn't pay 10M more for Luka. Work ethics? Lol, who would believe that other than Nico trying to save his own ass before general public.

I don't think it makes sense either, but for that family to say, let's trade Luka so the value of the franchise can decrease and we can move it to Las Vegas makes so little sense. Now the franchise is valued much less while also the chance of moving to Las Vegas seems extremely low. Like Dallas is a huge city. There are so many other teams that are better off moving to LV, or just starting a new franchise.

Isn't that suppose to be the plan though? Tanking the value of a franchise so you can move it easier. That's what people with more knowledge are saying is possibly their tactic. I have personally no clue what will happen but the way this deal went down and reports that Nico doesn't even have the will to stay with Mavs long term... that is some shady stuff.

Look at Zion, Ja, Melo (running kids over with his car and often injured), Embiid, etc...All these guys have huge injury problems and their teams didn't or don't want to trade their face franchise even though they're causing a ton of problems for them. Spurs didn't want to trade Kawhi even when he started having huge injury issues himself and only did it when he basically forced his way out.

But again, i have no clue what will really happen, the whole situation is beyond weird.

I like that you are open to ideas and not stuck like most people here as soon as someone says something different. I think the reason for not trading those players is that they will never get their value back. Nico Harrison might be a genius for doing this, we will only know in 5 years time, but now it looks really bad.


Even if that is the goal, making the value less worth, they are still far from it. The team is now built with a 26ppg, 12rpg, 3apg, and 2bpg power forward who play excellent defense. Also, the team is filled with excellent roleplayers. We most likely see a very defensive-minded team moving forward with a lot of ball movement and attacking of the paint. It is also very likely they will move away from Daniel Gafford who has excellent value. Or maybe even trade Lively instead, for a wing.

[Raps in 4]

You genuinely have to be stupid to believe that theory. Vegas is the 40th media market in the country. Dallas is 4th. Moving the team is a revenue loser for the league and the owners and moving the team doesn’t get them what they want, the premiere gambling location in Texas. Not only that, but the league isn’t approving a team moving from the fastest growing market in the country to Vegas, which is full of disconnected transplants so the owners can have an anchor entertainment product for a disconnected revenue driver of a casino. The league would tell the Adelson’s to sell before they make that trade.

MLB and the NFL literally just approved the move of two franchises from one of the largest markets in the country to Las Vegas.

The answer is Nico is an idiot. Period. When someone does something inexplicably stupid the safest bet is he’s inexplicably stupid.

Yet sometimes something is so stupid, that's it's hard to believe a human with a functioning brain made the decision. When that happens, alternate explanations become more plausible.

Calling Oakland one of the largest markets is like calling Newark one of the largest markets.

The Bay Area has a population of 9 million people. It's not like everyone outside of Oakland was a Giants/49ers fan.

[Johnny Firpo]

At this point I am reserving my final opinion exactly 2 years from now. Even if Mavs win title people will say they should have never traded Luka. It is what it is. Interesting to see how this plays out.

I certainly would be one of them. Even if you agree with the mantra that "winning is everything", that's largely because it implies that if you win, you do the best financially. I guarantee that with him trading away Luka, he capped the franchise' value in the short and long term, regardless if they somehow won this year or the next. Never mind that most fans don't want their team to just win, they want them to win with their favorite players. Everyone watches the game because of players, if the NBA would change all of its players overnight, barely anyone would watch their team tomorrow.

[Blame Rasho]

Well there is a tiny casino(Kickapoo) on the border, so technically they have one. It isn’t worth visiting at all.

[El Turco]

MLB and the NFL literally just approved the move of two franchises from one of the largest markets in the country to Las Vegas.



Yet sometimes something is so stupid, that's it's hard to believe a human with a functioning brain made the decision. When that happens, alternate explanations become more plausible.

Calling Oakland one of the largest markets is like calling Newark one of the largest markets.

The Bay Area has a population of 9 million people. It's not like everyone outside of Oakland was a Giants/49ers fan.

New York area has 24 million people, yet nobody would consider Newark a large market. Just because you are part of a metro area doesnt mean you are a viable city for a pro team, they had the worst stadiums in sports.

[Showdown]

If anything, they've proven to prefer smaller markets without competition from the NFL, MLB, and the NHL (Sacramento, SLC, OKC. etc.).

Sacramento is two hours from bay area nfl and mlb teams, they certainly have competition. OKC has college football, which is bigger than NFL is in most places.

Sizeable market with fan support and a newer stadium are two criteria. Dallas has both.

The point I'm trying to make is that they've targeted specific markets where they are the only big show in town with no NFL to have to compete against.

Yes, the arena is a big component. Heck, LA went two decades without an NFL team for that specific reason. Seattle also had similar issues.

But if you look at the most recent relocations, the common theme are markets with less competition. OKC, Memphis, Sacramento, SLC. This is just a fact.

MLS had challenged NBA in most of those cities you mentioned.

[ORLMagicGirl15]

If Nico didn’t trade Luka, he’d still be with the Mavs.

[Kiss of Death]

I don't know how much the 'casino' business had to do with anything.
Definitely a cheap owner who does not care about basketball.
And an incompetent GM who may have ulterior personal motives for making the trade.