Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[Dahlsim]

I think last night’s season ender for LA is as good a time as any to revisit what (if anything) it might take for Nico to eventually become less of a villain (I don’t think hero is within the realm of possibility, so I’ll just say ‘less of a villain’).  It appears he is going to survive the offseason (wouldn’t he be gone by now if he was going).  I want to be forward looking here and not revisit how lopsided the trade was/wasn’t or how poorly the PR has been handled.  This is strictly about steps it might take for the beginnings of a Nico rehab (if that is even possible).

1.  Nico has maintained he has a vision for how this thing might come together.  A winning formula built around AD and Kyrie.  Unfortunately, we are 8-9 months away from test driving his theory and really a year from seeing it in games that really matter.  The only real contribution he might make in the near term toward proof of concept would be to quickly come to a reasonable extension with Kyrie.  I think 3 years at his Max is a failure.  Kyrie is an older smaller guard with an injury.  He will spend a chunk of his next contract in street clothes.  If, however, Nico can bring Kyrie in at something similar to what he’s already being paid, then that’s a good piece of GM’ing.

2.  Nico could adjust the roster this summer in a way that is universally liked.  He was on a pretty good roll with Lively, PJ and Gafford.  Then we had the 2025 TDL.  What deal is out there that would be universally liked?  Topic for another day.  This is a post about how Nico might manage to get a body part or two out of the doghouse.  I think a really good addition that better balances the roster might help him.  It would also happen sooner than the next time we see AD and Kyrie in a game together.

3.  Unfortunately, the third thing that helps Nico is failure on the part of Luka.  No matter what we think about Luka or how much we want him to succeed, the national narrative has turned a bit in recent days.  “Luka can’t guard a chair” from Chuck last night.  LA fans starting to show displeasure.  It isn’t permanent (and I said at the time of the trade, that I expected Luka to come back next season with a vengeance).  But, this playoff series put a few chinks in the armor of pubic opinion regarding Luka.  It is one thing to be targeted when you have a proper team helping.  But the LA defense really exposed Luka.  That won’t change if Reeves and Lebron are still there and a real defensive center isn’t brought in.  Add in the fact that Legler is hinting that Luka might not extend this summer.  Boy, if that happens, it might not help Nico, but it really looks bad for Pelinka.

I think it only is only fair to acknowledge that there are things that could go against Nico also.  Another dumb or lopsided trade.  Or, if LA makes a brilliant trade to build around Luka, that would be bad.  I think it more likely Giannis goes to Houston than LA, but stranger things have happened.  Another way this goes poorly is if Pelinka trades Luka to someplace Luka wants to extend and gets a better haul of assets than Dallas got.  All TBD, but if you are one of the three people in the world who hopes Nico (and the Mav’s) somehow find their way back from this nightmare, the changing narrative based on the Minnesota series was a step.  A little bit of lottery luck wouldn’t hurt and a good decision or two between now and mid July would also be helpful.

Great posts and discussion threads like this are what has kept me as a regular reader off and on poster for so long on this board and even going back to the parent board before the move.  Kudos to all those keeping the community going!   

I think it only is only fair to acknowledge that there are things that could go against Nico also.  Another dumb or lopsided trade.  Or, if LA makes a brilliant trade to build around Luka, that would be bad.

As it relates to possibility of a 'Nico Rehab', that's a tough one but clearly it mostly relates to the success of lack thereof of a 'Mavericks Rehab'.   As a MFFL of course I root for a Mavericks Rehab.  As to Nico I can easily live with him staying for example if the Mavs were to win even a single chip no matter how much success Luka has with the Lakers.  

The LA Lakers get prima donna franchise treatment and have a history of somehow getting to fleece other NBA teams in trade deals, getting friendly ref's at key times as well as pick up desirable free agents easier than most other teams, even when they appear cap limited.   
In other words, even if Luka turns his conditioning around and wins  a chip in LA it doesn't mean he would have done the same thing in Dallas.  Maybe he needed the kick in the pants Nico gave his ego to become his best self in LA. 

That said, Nico's stealth move with his known buddy to make the Luka trade without shopping his value across the league is something I could never see as excusable even though I think I 'understand' his thinking maybe better than a lot of observers I see.   Let's assume for argument sake Nico was not purely a traitor that actually wanted to help his friends in Laker land and revive the then slumping NBA ratings.  Let's assume for the moment in his own mind his goal was and is to help his franchise win what would only be their 2nd EVER NBA championship.  

Here's what I read into everything from Nico: 

1) Yes, we (Dallas) made the finals but we weren't competitive against Boston and I (Nico) don't think our chances are really going to be good at all against the Celts if they return to finals or against the up and coming NBA contenders esp. in the West.  In other words, as things stand we are NOT on track to get back to the finals let alone to beat Boston or East champion next season, or any time after we lock up Luka to the big Super Max. 

2) As Nico, I don't like Luka's conditioning level and I don't see a commitment from him to adequately address that issue in Dallas after we pay him.  I'm worried about his injury proneness (more than AD's  )   I don't like his defense even if healthy even if we have built a great team around him to cover that.  (Personally I do think you can build a champion covering around Luka's defensive lack, but that is besides the point for Nico's thinking who also has to bet the Supermax on it).  

3) Key point often missed.  Nico has pretty much said in some of his remarks as to his reasoning for not shopping Luka for top league value.  He said 'we had to do it quietly' because in some way it would never get done if Rob and I didn't do it that way.  I read into that he knows Dallas and fandom would revolt and put the heat on almost ANY deal for Luka Magic.  Nico didn't just want a great package, Nico wanted ANTHONY DAVIS!  He wasn't dealing for a bunch of draft picks, AD was his target.
Nico and Rob went into full stealth mode, shocking the entire NBA world because they thought that was the only way they could complete the deal they both wanted to do. 

IMO no doubt the Mavs got the short end on Luka's value at that point in time.  I would have loved to have seen this season's team IF Kyrie remained healthy as AD, D-Live, Gaff, PJ and the rest returned healthy.  
I don't know that they were championship level but I do think that roster would have been a contender on talent level.   Probably still too much weight on Kyrie to create, but with 1/2 a flash brother and if Exum were healthy I'd like to see it ...