Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[SleepingHero]

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.

[rocky164]

@TheDunkCentral
Brian Windhorst says it’s not guaranteed that Luka Dončić will sign an extension with the Lakers

Now that the supermax is off the table, Luka can really go anywhere he wants. Money isn’t that big of a difference now.

I don’t think Luka will ever be a Maverick again, but it wouldn’t be unheard of after a complete overhaul of ownership/management/coaching.
BUT my one glimmer of hope is that now that the super max is off the table Luka will join with his best friend Joker in Denver.  I don’t know Denver’s salary situation but in today’s NBA i think this is a real possibility.  Players go where they want and play with who they want.  The super max contract is the only thing that has slowed that process down.
The thought of Luka/Joker playing together for 5 years IS THE ONE THING that could make me smile as a result of this trade.

[SleepingHero]

I don’t think Luka will ever be a Maverick again, but it wouldn’t be unheard of after a complete overhaul of ownership/management/coaching.
BUT my one glimmer of hope is that now that the super max is off the table Luka will join with his best friend Joker in Denver.  I don’t know Denver’s salary situation but in today’s NBA i think this is a real possibility.  Players go where they want and play with who they want.  The super max contract is the only thing that has slowed that process down.
The thought of Luka/Joker playing together for 5 years IS THE ONE THING that could make me smile as a result of this trade.

Agreed and I’d be happy. I’d root for the nuggets. The lakers aspect of this trade just adds such an insulting little wrinkle.

[KillerLeft]

I didn't see the whole thing, but AD wasn't even mentioned in any of the questions I saw. I wonder how AD will feel when all of the questions at his introductory press conference are about Luka?

[bubbler86]

Luka holding the shirt up....he looks like he just broke up with his GF. He is not happy.

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

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 was talk of the town last week!  

I think we need to tap the brakes.  If this move brings us a chip in the next 3 years (Kyrie and AD's window), this will be seen as a success.  If not, I think all of this angst is justified, but only then.

[SleepingHero]

@itzok_franko

More Luka "I thought I will spend my career there...because loyalty is a big word for me."

[KillerLeft]

Guys, he's a Laker. LA is a top 5 place to live on planet Earth if you're rich enough.

He's not leaving there unless they want rid of him at some point.

[SleepingHero]

@DLLS_Mavs
Luka on finding out about the trade: "I didn't really believe it at first... It was a hard moment for me. (Dallas) was home."

[Smitty]

@DLLS_Mavs
Luka on finding out about the trade: "I didn't really believe it at first... It was a hard moment for me. (Dallas) was home."

I hate all of this. UGH!

[SleepingHero]

@nationmffl

Luka Doncic on getting traded away from the Dallas Mavericks:

“Honestly it was hard, the first day was really hard, the last couple of days felt like a month, so emotionally it was really hard.”

He wanted to be in Dallas.

[SleepingHero]

there it is. 

Kill me. Please.

[SleepingHero]

[SleepingHero]

Yeah i don’t know folks. I hate watched that press conference.

I am emotionally spent. It’s hard to look at the Mavs and not think of the pain.

[SleepingHero]

@JoshEberly

1) This Luka trade
2) We Believe Warriors
3) Dez caught it
4) 06 Free Throws
5) Romo’s snap

Pain rankings.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

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.

What I don't get is that you would think that a Nike exec is trained in EXACTLY this.

[StrandedOnBeauboisHill]

@JoshEberly

1) This Luka trade
2) We Believe Warriors
3) Dez caught it
4) 06 Free Throws
5) Romo’s snap

Pain rankings.

In terms of Dallas sports in most of our lifetimes, the only thing missing is one strike away in 2011.

[bubbler86]

@JoshEberly

1) This Luka trade
2) We Believe Warriors
3) Dez caught it
4) 06 Free Throws
5) Romo’s snap

Pain rankings.

Because it was in front of a lot of family who laughed at me, Leon Lett's Thanksgiving disaster stuck with me for a long time...but on your list #2 is probably the hardest for me.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

@JoshEberly

1) This Luka trade
2) We Believe Warriors
3) Dez caught it
4) 06 Free Throws
5) Romo’s snap

Pain rankings.

1. Nothing will be as bad for me as losing to the Heat in the Finals.  I actually went to Miami after we were up 2-0 because I didn't want to miss the Title clinching game.
2. Close runner up is the Rangers losing the World Series to the Cardinals after being one out away. I was texting my friends where we were going to go celebrate after the game. It was a Friday night.

Honestly, I can't relate to this list at all.

[KillerLeft]

What I don't get is that you would think that a Nike exec is trained in EXACTLY this.

I agree with Sturm here. Setting the basketball of it all aside, I don't think he had the remotest of ideas what he was setting into motion, backlash-wise. It seems insane, I know, to imagine someone who has gotten to where he has in life not to see that coming, but that press conference with Kidd was an opportunity to kill the fire, at least a little, and instead he threw gasoline on it and then walked out laughing. 

He does not "understand the magnitude of this" to use his own words. Pelinka clearly does.