Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[BolsDamols]

That man used Shaq as an example of hardwork, we all know he was known to play himself into shape during the season (same thing to what they are saying Luka is guilty off). After this quote how can you believe anything he says thats basketball related?

[KillerLeft]

Apart from just how the trade was executed, to me there is zero agreement with anyone who finds no fault with Nico’s and now Dumont’s  maturity and words post the trade.

I agree they have handled this pretty poorly. It would have been a PR disaster if they had know what they were up against, and it seems like they didn't, so it was even worse than it had to be. 

At the same time (and I believe this to be RTG's point), they MUST tell at least some of the truth here, specifically BECAUSE of what they're up against with fan perceptions. It's a lose-lose situation. Take the high road, and it's indefensible to trade away a 25-yo phenom. Tell us why you traded him, which is difficult to do without trashing the kid, at least a little, and they're not being sensitive enough to the situation, to the fans' attachment to Luka, or to Luka himself, who has contributed an unbelievable amount to the team and city, despite the flaws they're forced to talk about. 

I wouldn't say I "find no fault" and sorry if that specific wording of RTG's post or my agreement with said post is a deal-breaker for you. I just agree with RTG that it's kind of refreshing that the franchise is no longer owned by the dude who has Dennis Rodman living in his house and goes bar hopping with Chandler Parsons while discussing which free agents to target and now has a Governor who is willing and able to make decisions like this. I really feel that way. If this is the wrong decision (and it really might be - I have no issues with anyone convinced it is), then I have to be ok with that. I do agree that it all could've been handled better, but I don't have an issue with the specific quotes we're discussing today. I really don't. I think he's giving us the clearest picture possible of why this happened without all out trashing Luka, which is what we've been asking for.

[mavsmagic]

This is kind of where I am, too. 

A big part of me is happy my team is out of the Luka business, because I was getting really worn down by his flaws, and was starting to wonder if the best of him was over. Seems crazy to say that about a 25 year old, but I just saw some footage of his first promo shoot in a Lakers uniform and he looks pretty bad, imo. If I didn't know of him and saw him on the street, I'd never guess he was a professional athlete, even at his height. Even American football wouldn't cross my mind, because I don't think he has a single visible muscle in his entire upper body. I know these things aren't "the point," but basketball is a running, jumping, change of direction sport. It's a bigger problem than we've been allowed to properly acknowledge around here that he doesn't take the condition of his body seriously. When he was in his early 20's, he had more energy than the opponent at the ends of games. That's how they got all those amazing, come from behind, game-winning, legendary moments. These past couple of years, it has always seemed like he was the FIRST player to get worn down. 

It was starting to irritate me to no end that he was showing up to training camp INJURED because he refused to miss anything team Slovenia related. I like that he has pride in his country and wants to be for them what he can, but the Mavs have made Luka and his family wealthy for generations, even if he never gets another contract. Dirk loved his country, too, but he learned pretty early on that if something had to be missed, it was the team Germany summer activities, not the Mavs stuff. I'm sure that was tough for him in some ways, but it was the right thing to do. The Mavs were his EMPLOYER. 

One of the things that came out this past week was that for the past TWO seasons, the Mavs have been forced to make up a phantom injury to report so that Luka could miss games for a couple of weeks to get into shape. DURING THE SEASON. Two years in a row. Knowing that, I have zero issue with Dumont choosing the "if you want to take a vacation" wording. Imagine paying a dude like $52 million to play basketball, and he can't even take it seriously enough to be ready for the season. Now, imagine that you're noticing during those two weeks that the dude isn't actually DOING what he needs to do to GET in said shape. Imagine thinking that the dude doesn't even care that he's letting his team down and doesn't appear to feel any obligation to hurry back and show his team that he's committed or apologetic about having to use their season to get ready for their season. I'm sorry, but that would irritate me, too. It irritates me now, and I'm just a fan. I cannot imagine how frustrating that must be for the guy PAYING him, or for the dozens of people depending on Luka for the professional reputation and livelihoods. The coaches, marketing folks, season ticket sales people...hell, the other PLAYERS. I feel like I understand those Naji Marshall "we need you, 77 - come back soon" tweets in a different way after learning this. 

And, the thing with the refs...it gets shaken off around here all the time as "minor," "cultural," "no big deal"...no. It's major. We watched this dude sell his teammates out in big moments FOR YEARS by choosing to complain about not getting foul calls instead getting back on defense like a professional basketball player is supposed to do. Sometimes, this was a game-long phenomenon. Either his ego/entitlement is gone beyond repair or he was so out of shape he was looking for an excuse to take a breather during live play. Maybe both. But, I'm sorry - that makes him EXTREMELY unlikable. It's unforgivable, really, and being a Mavs fan had become burdened by doing mental gymnastics in an attempt to reconcile what I believe to be right or wrong with the desire to like/defend/root for this child. Speaking of children, I don't have any, but if I did, I would have serious concerns with them idolizing Luka Doncic. 

I'm sorry, but that's my opinion, and I have zero difficulty understanding why they wouldn't want to give this kid the largest FULLY GUARANTEED contract in the history of a sport that's growing more and more punitive to teams who don't manage their contracts intelligently. 

Having said all that, it's ALSO my opinion that there is GREATNESS in Luka. I still remember passionately convincing my Dad, who had lost all interest in the Mavs during the years following Cuban's decision not to let the 2011 team defend their title, to take the Mavs back up again BECAUSE of Luka. "This kid is going to be one of the greatest of all time," I told him. And, part of me wonders if Luka is a year away from starting to mature and take his career seriously before it's too late. If he does, this change of direction for the franchise is going to look silly, as most are assuming it will. But it had gotten to the point where the hope of him doing that was all I had to hang onto as a Mavs fan. What this trade tells us is that the people who see Luka every day, see what he's doing and NOT doing, had basically given up on that hope. I'm not saying they're right, but they do have more info than we. 

Even if he doesn't "figure it out," I'm 1000% sure there will be moments of greatness in the near and medium future that make us miss him. It's going to suck when he has the next 45 point triple double in a Lakers uniform, and doubly so if/when it happens against the Mavericks. I loved this kid and his game so much I named my dog after him. I used to routinely force conversations about him into social situations that didn't call for it (not so much these past couple of years). I'm having some very complicated feelings about all of this, and don't blame people a bit for being emotional, or for not wanting to accept or even consider any possible reasons for making this change. It shocked all of us. I wouldn't have done this. It probably wouldn't have OCCURRED to me to do this. 

And, like everyone else, I'm super down on what the trade actually looked like. AD is obviously an amazing player, and I think Max Christie might be a real prize, too, but it feels like they should've gotten more. Quite a bit more. 

But, what I've come to realize pretty clearly as I've worked through all of this for a week is that I'm not mourning the loss of Luka, I'm mourning the loss of the IDEA that was "the Luka Doncic era" in Dallas. What really sucks is that this was a young team a week ago and now it's an old team. I mean, technically, they might have actually brought their average age DOWN in this trade, as Christie is younger than Luka, AD is basically the same age as Kleber and Morris, if you want to count him, was in his early 70's. All the other youth is still here. But, idk...there's something deflating for me going from being built around a 25 year old to being built around two 31 year olds overnight, out of nowhere. I think being robbed of a perceived, possible future is the issue here, for me. But, if the Mavs feel like they KNOW how that future was going to play out, and they must have thought they did because this was a drastic step, idk...we might look back and realize they did us a favor last weekend. 

Crazy times to be a Mavs fan, no matter how it plays out.

Long time lurker on this board, but had to reply to this. Seeing fans switch up and buy the narrative the FO is trying to sell is super disappointing. Luka is 25. No superstar had it all together and figured it out at 25. Not even Dirk. 

Sure, Luka had his flaws and they could be annoying at times, but it’s like everyone is expecting him to be perfect and then getting mad when he’s not. He carried so much of this team for so long, literally played through injuries, was in the playoffs last year with his knees literally bleeding through this bandages/wrappings.

There is literally no evidence that he has an ego or is entitled. The FO fired everyone he was close with and even then he was still loyal to the Mavs and wanted to stay here long term. I strongly disagree with having concerns about a child idolizing Luka. He has never said or done anything bad (unless you count whining as some awful crime). He’s been a great role model, especially when you consider that other NBA players are brandishing guns, putting other players in headlocks, have been accused of domestic violence, etc.

As much as I love the players still on the team, I’m so disgusted by how Nico and the FO has handled all of this. They got what they wanted (Luka off the team) and they’re still disparaging his character on the way out in a sad attempt to try to justify their actions. I really don't think I can ever bring myself to fully root for this team (at least with Nico as GM and the under these new owners)

[hakeemfaan]

Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Despite his flaws Luka lead this team to the WCF twice and once to the Finals. AD was THE guy before. It didn’t get New Orleans far. He was great in LA and is still a stud but once LeBron had lost a step the Lakers became irrelevant quickly.

This team’s window of winning a title has just closed. Luka was THE reason we were capable of putting teams like OKC, Minny and PHX away in past postseason runs.

I am not even blaming AD. He is a fantastic player when healthy but the reality is there are still levels to this. Even at 26 AD was not as good as Luka let alone at 32. If one wants to list out Luka’s flaws I can list out the cons with AD as well but I don’t wnr to go there because none of this is AD’s fault. 

What blew me away was the absolutely beautiful comment AD made regarding the trade and coming here. It showed awareness, empathy towards the fans, and yet his commitment to do his part. I do wish him the very best 

Mgmt on the other hand showed no negotiation skills. poor overall vision, and are now compounding that with immature statements because most in the country are calling them out for their incompetence. 

KL ::

We have all been critical of Luka’s flaws and with OKC and Houston and Spurs coming up, it is a valid question to ask as to how long can we wait for Luka to be a complete professional that puts us over the hump. Should we make the fatal flaw that teams make waiting too long to cut ties or do we sell high or do we wait it out and trust that this guy will take us over the top. 

I get all that and that’s why I hate folks just saying that if you are critical of Dumont and Nico, you are a casual and not seeing the full picture. No. We see it and it is not an easy decision at all to make. I do not envy them.  The way they went about it though and what they got back and their behavior/comments post the trade have been ridiculous. As I said, with the leaks Pelinka’s camp has given IMO they now realized they got played and are just trying to cover up their utter incompetence.

[KillerLeft]

Sounds like they purposely ran off people who were close to him in the hopes of getting him to force his way out 

See, I think it sounds like they purposely ran off people who they thought were enabling him in the hopes of getting him to take his job more seriously. 

Remember all the talk of Pat Riley having "body fat percentage targets" for the Heat players? We've been hearing about that since the Shaq/Wade years, and the players all hate it, but then they turn around and praise "Heat culture" in every article, podcast or talking head show, to the point where it has become a running bit. 

I think the execution of this move left a ton to be desired, but if I'm being honest, I kind of like what it communicates to the rest of the current team and to future Mavericks. Gotta remember that both GM and Governor are new at this, but I think what they're trying to do has some validity.

[KillerLeft]

I get all that and that’s why I hate folks just saying that if you are critical of Dumont and Nico, you are a casual and not seeing the full picture. No. We see it and it is not an easy decision at all to make. I do not envy them.  The way they went about it though and what they got back and their behavior/comments post the trade have been ridiculous. 

To be clear, I don't think the emboldened sentence is true at all, and never meant to suggest otherwise. I think folks are entitled to cope with this week's events however they need. It has been a singularly crazy experience.

[hakeemfaan]

The sheer absurdity, the absolute sheer absurdity of going to Pelinka, who had an aging, middling team and had internally decided to not give AD an extension, and then the Mavs offering him a lifeline for the next decade if Luka takes care of himself, and then telling him to keep it a secret… I just can’t get over it.

Pelinka sitting back, pinching himself to make sure he is not dreaming, He wasn’t done though. Instead of just sitting nervously and quiet until the trade went though, he has the absolute audacity to further whittle down the trade realizing he wa dealing with perhaps the dumbest front office folks in the history of all sports…sigh. Words fail me

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Long time lurker on this board, but had to reply to this. Seeing fans switch up and buy the narrative the FO is trying to sell is super disappointing. Luka is 25. No superstar had it all together and figured it out at 25. Not even Dirk. 

For me, this isn't revisionist history or buying the FO narrative.

I had a rant on this very forum about how "I cannot stand Luka Doncic" just last year.  He is the biggest crybaby in the entire NBA.  Doing dollar signs at the refs when he has a bad game is unacceptable.  I don't think he is a bad human being.  He just behaves like an impulsive teenager.

I dont think he's been criticized enough because he's this adorable European kid.  I brought up several times the criticism James Harden faced.  Harden's behavior was never this bad. 

TBH, I'm surprised at the number of 40+yr old fans who were in love with him.  I always assumed it was the younger generation and European fans that idolized him.

I probably would have given him until he was 27-28 to see if he matured. But you have to give him the $350 million dollar contract this summer. And then if you have a fat, immature, injured athlete like Joel Embiid making $350 million, can you still move him for assets in two years?

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

I actually uploaded this to the internet in April 2023.

https://imgur.com/73Df48p

This shit would happen almost every single game and I would turn the TV off.

https://imgur.com/a/WKIH0uf

[hakeemfaan]

For me, this isn't revisionist history or buying the FO narrative.

I had a rant on this very forum about how "I cannot stand Luka Doncic" just last year.  He is the biggest crybaby in the entire NBA.  Doing dollar signs at the refs when he has a bad game is unacceptable.  I don't think he is a bad human being.  He just behaves like an impulsive teenager.

I dont think he's been criticized enough because he's this adorable European kid.  I brought up several times the criticism James Harden faced.  Harden's behavior was never this bad. 

TBH, I'm surprised at the number of 40-60yr old fans who were in love with him.  I always assumed it was the younger generation and European fans that idolized him.

It is absolutely revisionist history and giving the FO a pass for one of the worst trades of all times and then doubling down slandering the guy. 

Did Harden have a performance like Luka in a game 7 on the road against a higher seed where he scored more in the first quarter than the entire other team?  Two of his teammates on the floor were Ntilkina and Bertrans. Think about that. 

Did Harden on the road in a game 6 come out and deliver a haymaker as Luka did against Minny?  

He was criticized but give his dues as well. If the Boston series is brought up, then Boston had to go through their growing pains as well. Kyrie for all his experience don’t have a good series either. Plus the team shot horribly on open shots. Maybe a Klay or a back up center who can stretch the floor makes the difference 

The Harden comparisons are lazy. Yes there are certain things Luka did that were infuriatingly similar but IMO KD, Jokic and Luka are the only guys who who can get to any spot on the floor. Harden didn’t have a solid mid range game or the ability to bully folks down low.   Kenny Smith brought up the same point. The production and ability to produce deep in the playoffs is why despite other criticisms folks are calling him a generational player. 

You can separate out your personal displeasure with certain aspects of Luka’s behavior and game and still acknowledge he was a fantastic productive player here and that management still screwed up the pooch in more ways than one in how this trade was executed.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

Your entire point is that Luka is better at basketball than Harden so all his issues don't count.

I agreed it was a bad basketball trade.

Im arguing that I have no problems with trading Luka Doncic and I have the exact same concerns as Nico and Dumont. I don't understand why people are getting worked up about their comments.

[mvossman]

But, what I've come to realize pretty clearly as I've worked through all of this for a week is that I'm not mourning the loss of Luka, I'm mourning the loss of the IDEA that was "the Luka Doncic era" in Dallas. What really sucks is that this was a young team a week ago and now it's an old team. I mean, technically, they might have actually brought their average age DOWN in this trade, as Christie is younger than Luka, AD is basically the same age as Kleber and Morris, if you want to count him, was in his early 70's. All the other youth is still here. But, idk...there's something deflating for me going from being built around a 25 year old to being built around two 31 year olds overnight, out of nowhere. I think being robbed of a perceived, possible future is the issue here, for me. But, if the Mavs feel like they KNOW how that future was going to play out, and they must have thought they did because this was a drastic step, idk...we might look back and realize they did us a favor last weekend. 

Crazy times to be a Mavs fan, no matter how it plays out.

This is where I have come down as well.  The idea that we had a 25 year old superstar that we could compete with and build around for the next 10 years has been totally shattered in so many ways.  Look at NBA champions and you see a pattern.  A team that builds a core and incrementally improves getting multiple years of playoff experience before they eventually break through.  A path I could totally see with the Luka/Kyrie combo.  Now this team has completely recycled in a two year period.  That is not a formula for winning a championship.  By the time these guys go through the steps to be ready, they will be past their prime.

But maybe the biggest hit I took was my faith in the FO.  The first two years of Nico was a complete disaster and the only question was how much blame to put on Nico versus Cuban.  But last year was a complete turnaround.  What happened?  I attributed most of it to Linsey.  When he took off for Detroit I through we were in a lot of trouble, but then we finished out the offseason reasonably well (I was not a fan of Klay as a target, but at least we actually executed) and I managed to convince myself we were in good hands going forward.  Now that is completely dead.  I have absolutely no trust in Nico at this point.  It seems to me like his goal is to collect as many Nike buddies as he can, and is willing to get fleeced doing it.  It feels like he is going to do everything he can to get Kevin Durrant this summer (continuing the massive recycle process).  A few weeks ago I was thinking what a great position this franchise is in and thank god we are not Brooklyn or Pheonix, but that is where we are headed now.

[hakeemfaan]

Your entire point is that Luka is a better at basketball than Harden so all his issues don't count.

Luka post pics of cash that he was going to spend on hookers like Harden did?  I must have missed it. I have seen pics of Dirk absolutely drunk in his early days here.  Any such pics of Luka?  

What are you even trying to say?  It looks like you are just trying to throw shit on the wall.

[mvossman]

Your entire point is that Luka is better at basketball than Harden so all his issues don't count.

I agreed it was a bad basketball trade.

Im arguing that I have no problems with trading Luka Doncic and I have the exact same concerns as Nico and Dumont.  I don't understand why people are getting worked up about their comments.

Because it seems like a total lack of class and another signal to the players that this organization has no trouble screwing its players and then throwing them under the bus.

[hakeemfaan]

Your entire point is that Luka is better at basketball than Harden so all his issues don't count.

I agreed it was a bad basketball trade.

Im arguing that I have no problems with trading Luka Doncic and I have the exact same concerns as Nico and Dumont.  I don't understand why people are getting worked up about their comments.

It was not just “a bad trade”, shoulder shrug and move on.  It was a terrible trade with no clear vision that shows an immediate or long term chance for betterment of the team. 

As for you not understanding the gravity of the words, I have said everything I wanted to say in post #913 of this thread 

Luka had his flaws but he also brought lot of relevance to this city and to this franchise while playing a lot of minutes . A raging drunk, completely immature slob doesn’t do that. Give him his dues as well.  If you can’t do that then as owners and GM at least bite your tongue and show the decorum and maturity that you are accusing him of not having. That’s not too much to ask.

[hakeemfaan]

Because it seems like a total lack of class and another signal to the players that this organization has no trouble screwing its players and then throwing them under the bus.

No point explaining to folks who won’t get it. That’s why in my last post I referred him to my earlier post. Tired of writing when folks are not comprehending the magnitude of what is going on

[loki]

I'm definitely not as distraught about the trade as I was initially. It's still a terrible deal, but the way Luka was trending with his health and declining ability to get to the rim had me beginning to question the wisdom of a supermax extension as well. I have 3 major issues at this point.

1) Nico got worked over. This should have been the easiest negotiation ever. You want Luka? Give me every asset you legally can or don't call back.
2) The abrupt change in direction. Over the last two years they traded 1st round picks or pick swaps in 27, 28, 29, and 30. You can't follow that up by moving your star for a guy 6 years older.
3) Dirk overcame his demons to eventually win in 2011. Luka was robbed of the chance to do the same.

It could get rough in a few years when Kyrie/AD fall off and the Mavs start shipping out lottery picks, but until then I'll just to try to enjoy the new-look team. I can't force myself to root for someone else, nor can I swear off the Mavs entirely. I think there's still a chance for them to contend, although the lack of spacing and ability to generate open 3's may be too much to overcome.

[hakeemfaan]

I'm definitely not as distraught about the trade as I was initially. It's still a terrible deal, but the way Luka was trending with his health and declining ability to get to the rim had me beginning to question the wisdom of a supermax extension as well. I have 3 major issues at this point.

1) Nico got worked over. This should have been the easiest negotiation ever. You want Luka? Give me every asset you legally can or don't call back.
2) The abrupt change in direction. Over the last two years they traded 1st round picks or pick swaps in 27, 28, 29, and 30. You can't follow that up by moving your star for a guy 6 years older.
3) Dirk overcame his demons to eventually win in 2011. Luka was robbed of the chance to do the same.

It could get rough in a few years when Kyrie/AD fall off and the Mavs start shipping out lottery picks, but until then I'll just to try to enjoy the new-look team. I can't force myself to root for someone else, nor can I swear off the Mavs entirely. I think there's still a chance for them to contend, although the lack of spacing and ability to generate open 3's may be too much to overcome.

I am in the same boat. Doubts about Luka long term, but what a poor process in how all this went down. They didn’t do their fiduciary duty to the fans. Also I question if rings are the be all / end all that Nico thinks they are. Many fans would have taken Luka being here and them losing out than putting together a bunch of veteran players that you can’t really identify with this team. This will be a case study for future GMs and owners as well. 


I was done even previously with this management group and ownership even before the quote today, but today solidifies my stance. At the same time, ngl. I was looking at the highlights and AD saying “I belong” , brought a tear to my eye. I am a softie. The Mavs will always be my team and I can’t root against this current bunch. There are a lot of good guys.

[KillerLeft]

Seeing fans switch up and buy the narrative the FO is trying to sell is super disappointing. Luka is 25. No superstar had it all together and figured it out at 25. Not even Dirk. 

Sorry you feel like I'm buying the FO narrative, but if you've been lurking long enough, you know there's no "switching up" here with me. I've been growing more and more out on Luka every day for the last three years. 

Did I expect THIS? Absolutely not, and to be totally clear it's hard for me to accept that the path the team is on now is better than the "well gee, I sure hope this kid figures it out" game we were all playing a week ago. If (or when, if you're so inclined) he ever figures out how to get himself past this stuff, the league is in a lot of trouble, and I'm not convinced that the current path to Mavs life after Luka represents a better opportunity than just continuing to wait and hope. 

But, where I differ from many feelings I'm reading this week is that it seems many fans believe the numbers show that there was no problem with Luka. I couldn't disagree with that more. This team was built around him, and rightly so, but has too often been stuck in a holding pattern due to his immaturity. He's not the center of the universe, just the center of a team's offensive design. An offense that was becoming less and less efficient and fun to watch, I might add. I'm a little relived to learn that the front office seems to have tried to get him to buy in and be more professional. I think there should be an expectation level for these guys, even the superstars (should the Mavs ever be fortunate to have another one of those). 

Again, I have no desire to argue with anyone heartbroken over this, and I'm pretty shaken up by it still myself.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

He's been the preseason MVP favorite for three straight years now. This will be the year Luka Doncic takes over the NBA and reigns as the next Jordan, Lebron, Steph.

He got close last year. So close that I expected he could taste it and would kill himself this summer and show up ready to dominate this year. And then 1 week into the season I made a post saying welp I guess we can hope it happens next year because fat, crybaby Luka is back.

https://www.mavsboard.com/showthread.php?tid=3489&pid=233977#pid233977

I also posted when it happened that they're making up a wrist injury so he can get his fatass in shape.