Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[The Jom]

I know there are lots of if's and question marks with the Mavs, but I just think people are glossing over the Lakers issues, which to me seem more likely to keep them from a title.

I don't think the Lakers have any real shot this season. Too small, not enough depth, the overlap between Luka and Lebron is too clunky. And going forward, with LA there's BOTH a question of Luka's durability and ceiling (due to an inability to withstand the rigors of 82 games plus an extended playoff time), and also Lebron's limited shelf life. And they're not going to have a lot of roster-building flexibility anytime soon - right now their contracts for next year put them over Apron 1, limiting their choices considerably.

If I am picking who has the best chance this season, I think a HEALTHY Mavs team has a much higher ceiling than LA, although until we see them play for a stretch, it's hard to be sure how high that ceiling goes. Going forward, I think the likelihood of DAL getting healthy is greater than the likelihood of LA getting better. Obviously neither team goes far with injured players and broken down players. How it plays out, we won't know until we get there.

I liked this post because it’s a smart take and I know you know a lot about where teams are financially. And I’m replying because I want to convert. (Help my unbelief!) 

But jeez, man. FanDuel has this year’s championship odds at +1800 (6th) for the Lakers and +9000 (11th) for the Mavs. And I get why you think the Lakes are limited in what maneuvers they can make next year, but after that, they only have Doncic, Reeves, and Vandy on contract. 

They’re the Lakers. Stars want to be there. I can’t see betting against em.