Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[KillerLeft]

Another thing mentioned that raised my eyebrows: AD's fit with "Lively, Gafford and PJW" was specifically mentioned as a positive. That, to me, means that Harrison literally doesn't understand NBA basketball. Maybe I'll eat crow on that later, but I HATE the idea of playing AD at the 4, even part time, really, but much more if the plan is to keep BOTH Gafford and Lively, which that press conference sure made it seem is the plan.

In all these conversations about trading Gafford this year, I kept coming back to Luka's contract, both current and the one he was about to sign, wondering how it would even be possible to keep BOTH centers once they reached the point where Lively's rookie contract was over. I guess we know now how they're going to do that, financially. They're opting out of the obligation to pay their top 5 guy the supermax he 100% was going to get. It's just not something any of us would've considered before last night.

Let's say this does make their defense better (they'll own the glass, but outside of that, I don't expect they'll defend teams like the Celtics any better - the opposite, more likely)...what about offense? Lively and Gafford are PICK AND ROLL BIGS. Is AD going to stand in the corner like Porzingis used to? How is THAT side of the floor going to work? I doubt they'll even be a pick and roll team anymore, actually. This is about to be a system (implemented on the fly, in February) tailored around Kyrie and AD, neither of whom are pick and roll players. How do Lively and Gafford even fit into that? What even is someone's theory on how that could work in abstract imagination???

If they're truly planning to keep both of those incumbent centers, I no longer have the ability to even try to understand what this is going to do.

I hate it.

[MarkAguirreWrathofGod]

You keep cooking. 

Making my depression a bit more tolerable.


All I can muster is just fuck Nico Harrison. Fucking isis member or something.

You’re on the right track. Nico didn’t have a choice. That was a very nervous man on the podium. Nico made a “business decision” like they say about a player who moves to avoid getting posterized. The mobbed up casino moguls made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He gets to keep his career and probably a promotion. This wasn’t about basketball at all. It’s about tens of billions tied to a casino entertainment complex.

[KillerLeft]

The Ringer player rankings.  Luka 4, AD 9

Trade rankings:  Luka 4, AD 11

A lot of room from those though.  Also, when healthy, Luka is higher than # 4 imo.

Dallas has 4 in the top 100.  The issue is 3 of 4 are PF/Center positions.

Yes, even assuming we accept those rankings, it's clear that the two players, despite being close in rank, are securely on two different sides of an imaginary line between "tiers." And, that line, between THOSE tears, is EVERYTHING.

[SleepingHero]

@NationMffl
Dallas Mavericks fans are protesting the Luka trade outside of the AAC

[SleepingHero]

@jga41agher
Nico just said Luka gave no indication he wanted out or wouldn't sign an extension moving forward. He also said the Lakers were they only team he talked to.

He's saying this directly into a microphone.

[chaparral]

Imagine how sick of him they must be to do this, but...the return they got? Criminal.

I'm think this is it.  

But what makes me mad as hell, they traded him to the F-ing Fakers.  And we are still stuck w/Powell...

[SleepingHero]

@SIChrisMannix
The defense stuff ... it just doesn't add up. The Mavs were fifth in defensive rating in the playoffs last year and held Boston to 107 points or fewer in four of the five games of the Finals.

[SleepingHero]

We never got the chance to see Luka Kyrie and Klay in the playoffs.

I can’t dude.

[KillerLeft]

You’re on the right track. Nico didn’t have a choice. That was a very nervous man on the podium. Nico made a “business decision” like they say about a player who moves to avoid getting posterized. The mobbed up casino moguls made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He gets to keep his career and probably a promotion. This wasn’t about basketball at all. It’s about tens of billions tied to a casino entertainment complex.

I disagree with this. I think this is a man who believes that his team needs a two way big, like AD, to compete...MORE than they need Luka Doncic. I don't think the new owners are following closely enough to even care, tbh. This is Harrison's toy, and he is playing with it like a fan who just bought the latest version of NBA 2K. If you're looking for a conspiracy deeper than that, I don't believe it's there to be found. I think this is simply a multi-millionaire being given the keys to an NBA franchise without any experienced oversight from someone who understands what this is going to do to the franchise, the city, and the fans. 

Harrison WANTED to do this. I think that's really, really clear. 

It was also clear (overtly stated with a laugh, actually) that neither Harrison nor Kidd care one bit about anything past the next 3-4 years, as they don't expect to have their jobs that long. THAT is the worst thing about all of this. It indicates that he in no way, shape or form "understands the magnitude of all of this." Who pays for this shortsighted approach? The people who care enough about the Mavericks to follow them for decades and spend a sizable portion of their free time discussing them in communities like ours on any platform, that's who.

[Smitty]

This was a move by a GM that doesn’t care about the franchise past his tenure. Maybe he shouldn’t. But it’s clear that he cares about the next 2-3 years and nothing else.

[KillerLeft]

Again (not sure why I'm still typing, but don't know how else to process this), part of me is RELIEVED to be out of the Luka Doncic business. This isn't a good day to say that, but it's the truth. I think there's a very real chance that getting out from under Luka, even this early, was the right thing to do in some ways. But...not like this. It's like they think it will be addition by subtraction or something, and that's way, way delusional.

[SleepingHero]

@SloHoopsFan
Luka unfollowed the Mavs, Nico and Kidd on Instagram.

He only continues to follow Marc Cuban.

[bubbler86]

@SloHoopsFan
Luka unfollowed the Mavs, Nico and Kidd on Instagram.

He only continues to follow Marc Cuban.

If I were him, I would be embarassed about what Nico did.  Embarrassed he was part of this team.

[KillerLeft]

This was a move by a GM that doesn’t care about the franchise past his tenure. Maybe he shouldn’t. But it’s clear that he cares about the next 2-3 years and nothing else.

Absolutely. 

This is where the "shoe salesman" aspect of all of this finally rears its head in a way that we should all be able to see clearly. He doesn't understand the power he's wielding because he didn't have to pay his dues (in THIS career) to attain it. 

Cue the Jeff Goldblum dinner speech from Jurassic Park.

https://youtu.be/mRNX6XJOeGU?si=62czzrDpIraIsACi

[chaparral]

@SloHoopsFan
Luka unfollowed the Mavs, Nico and Kidd on Instagram.

He only continues to follow Marc Cuban.

Where is Cuban's mouth now?

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Who else could the Mavs have traded for and still remained a win now team + gotten a boat load of draft picks? (Just trying to think of it from their perspective)

Here is the list of top players by the Ringer: https://nbarankings.theringer.com/ I'm looking at #21, #22, and #23: Jalen Williams, Evan Mobley, and Franz Wagner. I probably would have targeted that trio and a boatload of draft picks. But those are three small cities that Luka probably would not have promised to stay with.

[SleepingHero]

This was a move by a GM that doesn’t care about the franchise past his tenure. Maybe he shouldn’t. But it’s clear that he cares about the next 2-3 years and nothing else.

In which case fire this dude now and have an angry mob attack him

The arrogance is insane. I hope season ticket holders cancel en masse.

I hope this team loses SO much money in the short term to the point the owners get cold feet and fire his ass.


FUCK NICO FUCK DUMONT FUCK ADELSONS THERE IS ZEEEERROOOOOO EXCUSES

[ThunderMav]

I haven’t posted here since Dec 2020.  Wanted to chime in on this topic, with some random thoughts.

First, I feel bad for the fans.  This was a travesty trade and no matter what is one of the worst trades ever.  Luka had fans all over world not just in USA.  And when healthy he had so many great plays and was fun to watch (his theatrics aside).  I imagine the fans hearing this news and assuming it was a prank or hacked account.

Not similar, but to give perspective when KD left OKC you can now understand why fans were so upset.  He shocked the fanbase it felt devastating to them, regardless the reason so I can sympathize even though its not the same thing.  Luckily for the OKC fans Presti stayed on and has rebuilt the team with same savvy trades.  But KD was the franchise player and how he left just destroyed the fans.  Its also why fans embraced Russ, as he could have left too and decided to stay.  The fans needed something positive and Russ gave that.  For that reason Russ will always be a folk hero here.    

I still can’t comprehend they traded Luka.  So here is a wild thought.  The owners are rich Vegas folks and are likely disconnected from basketball and fandom.  They want to build a casino in Fort Worth or wherever it is.  The new Mavs arena will be right next to it.

So my theory is they were looking down the road to 4-5 years when casino is built along with new arena - and likely were told Luka has health issues.  And didn’t want to be saddled with his super max and possibly not working out.  And they likely want the arena to be a gateway to get customers into their not as yet built casino.  So hearing about health and not understanding basketball one iota, maybe they told the front office to trade Luka now to avoid the super max.  And then try to rebuild for a point 5 years from now, assuming they can get another top draw by then. 

I know that makes no sense but I think there is something to it.  Owners really have no idea the impact and pushback of this trade because they likely have no clue about basketball in general.  They bought this to get access to build casino and the Mavs are just a blip on their radar with how they look at making money.  There only focus is casino and how they can get some bleed over from home basketball games. 

I can think of no other reason to make this trade. 

Anyways, just wanted to offer some wild theory as nothing else makes sense.

[chaparral]

In which case fire this dude now and have an angry mob attack him

The arrogance is insane. I hope season ticket holders cancel en masse.

I hope this team loses SO much money in the short term to the point the owners get cold feet and fire his ass.


FUCK NICO FUCK DUMONT FUCK ADELSONS THERE IS ZEEEERROOOOOO EXCUSES

How do I cancel Mavs TV?

[SleepingHero]

How do I cancel Mavs TV?

https://www.mavs.com/mavstv-terms-and-conditions/


Scroll down to cancellations near the bottom. There’s a link there. You can cancel it through your NBA.com account