Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[Jym]

Chief Balancing Officer.

Trying to balance all the knee-jerk, doom-and-gloomers in the fanverse.j

Better man than me

[BigDirk41]

Chief Balancing Officer.

Trying to balance all the knee-jerk, doom-and-gloomers in the fanverse.j

You're clearly a mouth piece for the Mavs. Keep up their good work. You, Charles Barkley, and Kendrick Perkins are on the same page.

[SleepingHero]

You're clearly a mouth piece for the Mavs. Keep up their good work. You, Charles Barkley, and Kendrick Perkins are on the same page.

I don’t think he’s a mouth piece or any of that nonsense.


It’s actually refreshing hearing a different side and some balance. I think he’s totally wrong and in this situation we have to burn everything to the ground, move the current franchise to Vegas, and get a new expansion so we can start fresh. 

But still, refreshing to hear some positivity.

[mvossman]

For me, this doesn't change anything, either way. I know that sounds crazy, but here's where I am with it: 

I have grown to respect Kyrie, and after being horrified by the trade to bring him in, I've come around completely. I'm glad they made that trade (less so now, but that's not his fault). He's a hell of a player, too. 

However, I don't consider Kyrie "a Maverick," at least not to an extent that makes me want to root for the team. My allegiance, at this point, is based on decades of Mavs fandom. There really isn't a "star" here I care about anymore. I love Lively and PJW, and I suppose I can grow to love some others who are here, but I now feel as I would've felt after Dirk's retirement had Luka not overlapped with him, despite Kyrie and AD being on the team. 

Further, I do not believe that Kyrie and AD are the nucleus of a championship team, so while I'll probably watch to see how all this plays out, I am expecting this not to result in a championship. It honestly doesn't matter to me whether we figure out it won't work this summer, by the next trade deadline, whatever. I'm already there in my heart.

I mean, if you have any Mavs fandom left (not sure that I do) then you have to be terrified of Kyrie leaving.  If he bails you have no way to replace him and this team is likely lottery bound for the foreseeable future without control of any of their first round picks.  I see little hope for this team both short term and long term, but Kyrie bailing would be the final nail in the coffin.

[ThisIStheYear]

Here’s the silver lining. The Mavs created a little salary cap flexibility, so Nico has opportunities to continue to be the hero in the story!! LOL

In seriousness, the fan backlash has been intense on an unprecedented scale. Ownership may have thought they were saving a ton of money with this trade. But now, to save face and regain credibility, they may just have to do something else big, and by big, I mean expensive. That would make me feel a little better. Buy us off.

[KillerLeft]

If he bails you have no way to replace him and this team is likely lottery bound for the foreseeable future without control of any of their first round picks.

They'll get to that place whether he leaves or not. He and Davis are 32, and the Mavs do not control their picks between 2027-2030. 

That's what I'm saying. It literally doesn't matter. The Mavs are already dead, they just don't know it yet.

[mvossman]

Here’s the silver lining. The Mavs created a little salary cap flexibility, so Nico has opportunities to continue to be the hero in the story!! LOL

In seriousness, the fan backlash has been intense on an unprecedented scale. Ownership may have thought they were saving a ton of money with this trade. But now, to save face and regain credibility, they may just have to do something else big, and by big, I mean expensive.  That would make me feel a little better.  Buy us off.

Given how bad Nico is with negotiating, I would be terrified that he is going to make some big moves.  He has already made it clear he doesn't care about the future.  He might send out the 31 and Lakers pick and this team will have to wait 7 years before it can even attempt to rebuild.

[SleepingHero]

I mean, if you have any Mavs fandom left (not sure that I do) then you have to be terrified of Kyrie leaving.  If he bails you have no way to replace him and this team is likely lottery bound for the foreseeable future without control of any of their first round picks.  I see little hope for this team both short term and long term, but Kyrie bailing would be the final nail in the coffin.

It’s funny, reading a statement like this a month ago would’ve struck fear into my heart and made my hair stand up.

But now? I get almost giddy. I want it to happen. That’s how much contempt I have for Nico and his vision and what he’s done to my franchise.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Lakers press conference

https://www.youtube.com/live/N1VOWctOyGo...mKcDffY2Wf

[SleepingHero]

Luka looks destroyed man.

Blank stare. Looking at his watch. He didn’t want this to happen.

How could Nico do this man.

I hate it.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

"At some point I knew this was going to happen"

Man there was definitely something between him and Nico for a while.

[SleepingHero]

I can’t believe it man. I seriously cannot believe it

[SleepingHero]

@SIChrisMannix
Doncic says he will "take the high road" when asked about the explanations coming out of Dallas about why they made the deal.

[SleepingHero]

@iztok_franko
Luka being very honest...that his first day after the trade was very hard. Very hard 48 hours.

[SleepingHero]

Luka looks like he lost his joy. No smiles. Nothing.

I’m sure it will come back, especially on the court. But he’s just like all of us right now.

[bubbler86]

Given how bad Nico is with negotiating, I would be terrified that he is going to make some big moves.  He has already made it clear he doesn't care about the future.  He might send out the 31 and Lakers pick and this team will have to wait 7 years before it can even attempt to rebuild.

Last year he negotiated PJ and Gafford here.   One can argue they gave up too much but he put NBA Champion level team on the court.  No defending the Luka trade but he was the toast of the town 12-14 months ago.

[SleepingHero]

Last year he negotiated PJ and Gafford here.   One can argue they gave up too much but he put NBA Champion level team on the court.  No defending the Luka trade but he was the toast of the town 12-14 months ago.

He originally wanted Kyle Kuzma for 2 FRP but had to pivot when Kuzma saved him.


There was nobody there to save Nico this time. He nuked it. He opened Pandora’s box.

[KillerLeft]

Say/think what you want about Pelinka, Jeanie Buss and the Lakers. I think they're a dumpster fire of a franchise, if not for "being born on 3rd base" as Simmons puts it, but...

...my goodness, they know how to come off as a classy, sophisticated organization in situations like this. So many coded messages in this press conference delivered with such subtlety, all designed to make guys LIKE LUKA, who are obviously special, feel like their team is the place to be. Bravo for that.

[Deebo]

Pretty sure league dictated this. Listen the lakers gm. Superstar in la biggest market. Nico is a snake working for the league

[SleepingHero]

@MikeACurtis2
Luka Doncic when asked by
@townbrad if he or anyone in his inner circle indicated to the Mavs that he wasn't going to sign a supermax contract with the #Mavs this summer:

"Absolutely not. Easy answer."