Lakers acquiring Luca for AD

[Mugen]

I mean in terms of the other teams and GMs. The front office wants the Lakers show. I remember David Stern outright saying he wanted the Lakers to play the Lakers in every finals.

What are they gonna do about it?

[vy65]

[BatManu20]

If the Lakers can get Luka that cheap Spurs need to be on the phone to Minny to try to get Ant for Vassell, Sochan, and the Charlotte first.

No way this resets the trade market. This was just a God-awful trade by Mavs' brass and legitimately feels like it was a gift to the Lakers to try to keep the NBA's ratings from further declining over for the foreseeable future.

[TekXX]

I'm assuming being in L.A means he'll be making more money on the side than he would in Dallas. He'll make up his supermax. Also being rich he'll avoid paying most taxes and us plebs will pay everything.

[mo7888]

[Spurminator]

Can’t believe I’m writing this, but their FO makes Brian Wright look like Red Auerbach.

I don't know about that. Finals last season and they actually have a better team this year IMO. They certainly have drafted better too. Without all the injuries I think they make it back to the Conference Finals at worst.

Occam's Razor is that it's as simple as they're saying. They feel that locking Luka in to a super max contract is too much of a risk. Maybe that came more from the top than Nico is letting on, but I can see how they would be frustrated that Luka isn't as motivated on the conditioning side as other NBA greats.

Unfortunately, this will probably be the thing that motivates him, which is why I'm betting on him winning MVP next season (and betting the over every time he plays the Mavs.)

[Mugen]

No way this resets the trade market. This was just a God-awful trade by Mavs' brass and legitimately feels like it was a gift to the Lakers to try to keep the NBA's ratings from further declining over for the foreseeable future.

This. It was the Mavs' brass cheaping out on Luka (love the he's fat/lazy spin immediately after) and directing their GM to fall on the sword. So the GM decides to just hook up his old buddy in Pelinka. What a ing joke

[Mugen]

That fat drunk was first team All NBA the last 5 years in his early 20s.

Shaq was fat AF for the Lakers 3 peat.

Who gives a about conditioning

[CorrectCrusader]

Nope. We made that trade.

You're on crack.

[NASpurs]

[skin27]

I think this is on luka not wanting to sign an extension or the mavs doesnt like luka’s at ude or something.

[Degoat]

Just hope he’s smart and doesn’t invest in any houses out there…. Too soon? Heard there’s a fire sale been going on

[scott]

Actual number is closer to 139, but then you also need to factor in Lebron's salary. So if he gets the min, lets say the end up at 141.5. But that's also just 11 players. So then you have a cap hold as well. 13 million is basically what you're left with which is the MLE which is how I KNOW Lebron isn't taking the min because why the would he give up money that doesn't open up more space?

Also why is Lebron going to help them if they are punting on a season with him at 40? That would be very different than how he's operated. I definitely think they HAVE to make moves, but they are in an incredibly inflexible position to move on with Lebron and still have a good team. I think ultimately they obviously should always make this trade, but the more I think about it the more I think there's a big chance this is the end of the Lebron era in LA.

Lebron can just resign last with his bird rights - can't he? He doesn't actually factor into this? And that's assuming he is even back. Lakers may be doing this not as a Lebron-Luka pairing, but a complete reset with Luka as their new centerpiece.

[scott]

I know you're being sarcastic, and I get how this situation in particular seems so absurd that it makes no sense to try to look at it as part of a trend.. Every time something like this fails, there's always some special reason to justify why it didn't work out. However, the fact that despite all the unique cir stances each situation has, this result happens basically every single time should give you pause. Luka didn't want to commit to a moribund team that has no future, so he wasn't willing to put in the work despite his considerable talent. The lack of a path to contention makes stars ask out far more than a team having a path but not moving early enough.

The Spurs aren't likely to win a le over the next 2-4 years with or without Fox (or Markkanen or Young). They are much more likely to lose their chance in 4-6 years to win if they give up their best assets in a quest to try to make something of a Wemby/Fox core now. And no, it's not sniffing, because I have no idea what the Spurs are going to do. If they trade for Fox, I'll still think it was the wrong move. I'll try to focus on the good of it, but that's not the same thing as me thinking it was a nice move. Fox is not on Morant's tier, regardless of what some stats say. Fox is the kind of guy you hope is a number 2 to a Wemby who's developed enough to win a le. Morant a guy who can be a 1a/1b with Wemby while Victor is still growing. He has MVP candidate upside. Fox does not. Of course, Morant has his issues that make him a risky get, and he's not on the block. My point is that when you have to try to build around Wemby and one other max player, that breaking point is Morant. Fox, Garland and even Young aren't above that cutoff.

Someone who is above that breaking point and may actually be available is Irving. He has plenty of his own problems. But he's firmly in that trench where he can be the player to help Wemby now while also being too old to require major investment. You get him for a couple of years, and then you let him go and hope either someone like Castle has proven himself or that a target aligned with the team's needs is around is available.

You make a lot of assumptions here that are, quite frankly, just speculation on your behalf (Luka not waiting to commit, that Luka asked out)

The rest is just a difference of opinion, which is neither right or wrong - it's just difference of opinion. We'll continue to respectfully disagree and that's what makes the site great. Good to have you back.

[mo7888]

Lebron can just resign last with his bird rights - can't he? He doesn't actually factor into this? And that's assuming he is even back. Lakers may be doing this not as a Lebron-Luka pairing, but a complete reset with Luka as their new centerpiece.

He can, but he'd have a cap hold that eats up space.

[Sugus]

Unless the Spurs now think Doncic is gettable.

No way they think this. Spurs FO has a long history of seeing Lakers ery and the effect of their big market pull.

Doncic in LA is beyond getting a hold of. They'll bend over for Luka and tell him he's thin and fit a thousand times over and he'll re-sign.


The Spurs may bet on getting Fox in FA instead of this deadline, but I doubt the trade changed any of their long-term plans specifically. It's other teams that might be scrambling right now.

[John B]

No, it doesn't

If the Spurs have any reservations about paying the Supermax, then Wemby is as good as gone tbh.

Why would the Spurs not when Wemby brings 100 times more in merchandise and business not only to the Spurs but San Antonio. And Wemby is no 270 lbs overweight. Wemby takes care of his body and 100 times mature than these superstars

[SpursGenius]

This. It was the Mavs' brass cheaping out on Luka (love the he's fat/lazy spin immediately after) and directing their GM to fall on the sword. So the GM decides to just hook up his old buddy in Pelinka. What a ing joke

Doesn’t matter if Luca had AIDS. 29 teams would have offered more than lakers gave up. You ship him around if you wanted to trade him. Spurs would have given more than what lakers gave up by a mile. Even for a 1.5 year rental of Luca.

[spurraider21]

People are missing the boat. Ok, the Mavs felt it was risky to supermax him. A re ed thought, but let’s entertain it.

that doesn’t justify the piss poor return. If they shopped for 10 minutes they could have gotten significantly more value. This just smells wrong

[Dex]

Mavs subreddit is having a full-on meltdown and I don't blame them.

This goes to show that even the "untouchables" are truly not that.

Also seems sus that the only team they talked to was the Lakers and their "only target" was an aging Anthony Davis. Dallas is posturing this is as a win-now move, but you take yourself out of win-now mode by trading Luka. Congrats, you are just another middling team in the West.

This seriously feels like there is some collusion going on behind the scenes, but that would be par the course for the Lakers.

[John B]

I think this is on luka not wanting to sign an extension or the mavs doesnt like luka’s at ude or something.

You have to think the Mavs are doing a fast move on the Lakers. Why not offer to every team and get 6 FRP unprotected? Maybe a debilitating injury, fatso has been out on calf injury. Embiid-like lazy on a supermax?? Who knows? Cuban is no dumb businessman.

[DAF86]

Not sure why most posters think Mavs are the losing side in that trade tbh

Only aspect Lakers are winning is the entertainment one.

I was a fan of Luka since Europe and his first cple NBA years, but he's become a caricature of heliocentrism and lack of work ethic. I would've hate to have him on my team

Genius move from Dallas, I hate to say it.

It MIGHT be genius if they would have gotten 5 to 6 unprotected first round picks, what they did is just re ed.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

People are missing the boat. Ok, the Mavs felt it was risky to supermax him. A re ed thought, but let’s entertain it.

that doesn’t justify the piss poor return. If they shopped for 10 minutes they could have gotten significantly more value. This just smells wrong

I hate conspiracies, but just imagine Mavs falling off the playoffs and winning the Flagg lottery with like 1.5% chance.

[ginobilized]

What an unexpected turn of events.
I wonder if this makes Gafford and Lively part of the Mavs plans going forward? If not, might want to kick the tires on them.

[vy65]

I don't know about that. Finals last season and they actually have a better team this year IMO. They certainly have drafted better too. Without all the injuries I think they make it back to the Conference Finals at worst.

Occam's Razor is that it's as simple as they're saying. They feel that locking Luka in to a super max contract is too much of a risk. Maybe that came more from the top than Nico is letting on, but I can see how they would be frustrated that Luka isn't as motivated on the conditioning side as other NBA greats.

Unfortunately, this will probably be the thing that motivates him, which is why I'm betting on him winning MVP next season (and betting the over every time he plays the Mavs.)

All of that is true. Complete agreement. They still didn’t shop arguably the second best player in the league. That is managerial malpractice.