Luka to Lakers

[traitor71]

I have a feeling he'll end up in Dallas.

I don't know. Butler's entire issue is that he wants the big extension, and Miami just isn't going to give it to him. If Dallas were to agree to that after not wanting to pay Luka, then they should just fold the damn franchise. Having said that, nothing surprises me in the damn NBA.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

I don't know. Butler's entire issue is that he wants the big extension, and Miami just isn't going to give it to him. If Dallas were to agree to that after not wanting to pay Luka, then they should just fold the damn franchise. Having said that, nothing surprises me in the damn NBA.

I think Jimmy’s issues were way more than money.

If I carry a team to two impossible Finals and over 4 years the offseason moves yall make is to give me… Thomas Bryant and Terry Rozier AND you don’t want to pay me. I’m going to have serious issues too.

The money wouldn’t be a big deal if the organization was also aggressive in helping him win as much as he wants to in his short window.

 

[Scoe]

Lakers will just give Jimmy Butler deferrel money they will pull the Dodgers tricks.

 

[bendm]

AD will play PF next to them, he doesn't want to play C

So He’s been playing C on the lakers for the last 6 years against his will?

 

[traitor71]

I think Jimmy’s issues were way more than money.

If I carry a team to two impossible Finals and over 4 years the offseason moves yall make is to give me… Thomas Bryant and Terry Rozier AND you don’t want to pay me. I’m going to have serious issues too.

The money wouldn’t be a big deal if the organization was also aggressive in helping him win as much as he wants to in his short window.

To be fair, Miami was all in on Lilliard, who wanted to go there, but Portland just refused to make a deal with Miami. Otherwise, they have done things for Butler that they didn't even do for Lebron in terms of travel arrangements, etc. Butler is a guy that plays extremely hard, raises his game in the playoffs, but it seems to end badly at every team he has been with, for whatever reason.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

To be fair, Miami was all in on Lilliard, who wanted to go there, but Portland just refused to make a deal with Miami. Otherwise, they have done things for Butler that they didn't even do for Lebron in terms of travel arrangements, etc. Butler is a guy that plays extremely hard, raises his game in the playoffs, but it seems to end badly at every team he has been with, for whatever reason.

If you strictly think about things in terms of wanting to win for Jimmy, it makes sense. Lillard isn’t the only move you can make.

He didn’t have a bad ending with the Sixers. For some reason they chose… Tobias Harris over him lol.

I’d probably want more of a shooter if I was the Mavs because the paint will be so clogged with AD at the 4 anyways. Lavine would be the most ideal option imo. Youngest wing out there and he’s been crazy efficient this year.

 

[Spaceman213J]

Feels like the equivalent of Dodgers trading Ohtani for Giancarlo Stanton.

The skeptic in me wonders if the League is behind this knowing LeBron is getting close to the finish line and wanting the Lakers to stay relevant and a big tv draw for the money.

 

[ec33]

More props for our coach sticking around when he could have avoided the recruiting hassles and just had the league throw MVP candidates at him until he had a title contender.

 

[bazz&boujee]

So He’s been playing C on the lakers for the last 6 years against his will?

essentially yeah

 

[aceboon]

So He’s been playing C on the lakers for the last 6 years against his will?

Besides the year they had Dwight and McGee he has pretty much expressed his desire to the media to play PF every year, he just had a sitdown interview with Shams last week where he did it again

Anthony Davis Wants Lakers To Acquire Center So He Can Play More Power Forward

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis bluntly stated that he thinks the team needs another center before the trade deadline.

lakersnation.com

 

[Drame]

Luka had too much power in Dallas and the Mavs didnt want to commit huge cash and 5 years to someone who would own them. The Jimmy Butler saga had some influence on this. The Mavs are also looking at the Rockets down the road and see a great team with no stars who are young and hungry. Nico Harrison already assembled a deep talented roster of players and now he will have more flexibility to do more. The best teams in the NBA now have talented deep rosters who can still win without their best player. See OKC, Celtics, Rockets, Knicks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies. All the superstar laden teams suck now.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

This might be one of the biggest stories of the whole deal

 

[IndyLives]

Interestingly, the Lakers odds of winning the Title this year rose dramatically?? I just don't see it. Their bad defense just got worse, and now they have no size in the middle. I would take the other side of these odds

 

[superjohn]

A guy on ESPN this morning (former front office guy, about two decades with a few teams) said that what he didn't understand was that if the Mavs put Luka on the open market (let the rest of the league know they'd listen to offers) they may have ended up with the largest haul ever.

If they were determined to trade him they could have gotten more.

It's fixed, we won't hear the real story any time soon but something shady happened. This won't be the end of Lebron and the Lakers getting hooked up either.

 

[Drame]

This might be one of the biggest stories of the whole deal

Nah, Luka wants to go to LA. Plus in 3 years he can sign for the biggest contract ever at like $450,000,000.

 

[bballgrda]

If the goal was to make the team less talented, weaken the franchise future, and completely piss off the fanbase then the Mavs hit a home run

A trade so stupid that the most reasonable explanation is some shady shiz

 

[Drame]

It's fixed, we won't hear the real story any time soon but something shady happened. This won't be the end of Lebron and the Lakers getting hooked up either.

Luka wanted to go to the Lakers so no other team could trade for him. Any team would only have him for 1.5 years then he would go to the Lakers anyway. Because he was willing to give up a max extension.

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

Nah, Luka wants to go to LA. Plus in 3 years he can sign for the biggest contract ever at like $450,000,000.

Luka didn’t know the trade was happening.

 

[upstater]

Luka had too much power in Dallas and the Mavs didnt want to commit huge cash and 5 years to someone who would own them. The Jimmy Butler saga had some influence on this. The Mavs are also looking at the Rockets down the road and see a great team with no stars who are young and hungry. Nico Harrison already assembled a deep talented roster of players and now he will have more flexibility to do more. The best teams in the NBA now have talented deep rosters who can still win without their best player. See OKC, Celtics, Rockets, Knicks, Cavaliers, Grizzlies. All the superstar laden teams suck now.

But the Mavs got basically nothing back that will ever help them win

 

[HuskyWarrior611]

But the Mavs got basically nothing back that will ever help them win

Anthony Davis has a championship and is a top 10 player in the league lol

 

[Rocktheworld]

So you trade him for an older player who has also had injury issues throughout his career? This makes no sense but I'm sure we're gonna get plenty of pods out of this from NBA writers doing deep dives

It makes you wonder how the process that led to this started.

I have to imagine Dallas started shopping him around; who is calling them up out of the blue asking if they’re interested in trading their 25 year old superstar who, as you said, just got them to a Finals?

So then I wonder who they reached out to, if anyone, before the Lakers. And, if they did, I wonder what offers were discussed.

Regardless, they end up talking to the Lakers. I can’t help but picture Dallas saying “yeah we want to shop Luka around, what’ll you give us for him?” And LA goes “uh…” looks around “I guess… AD? Straight up?” And Dallas was like “Done”.

Pretty bizarre indeed.

 

[JohnFSilver]

This is the craziest trade of all time, in any sport. Holy ****.

This is an insnae trade from almost every basketball, marketing and social angle.

 

[JohnFSilver]

It makes you wonder how the process that led to this started.

I have to imagine Dallas started shopping him around; who is calling them up out of the blue asking if they’re interested in trading their 25 year old superstar who, as you said, just got them to a Finals?

So then I wonder who they reached out to, if anyone, before the Lakers. And, if they did, I wonder what offers were discussed.

Regardless, they end up talking to the Lakers. I can’t help but picture Dallas saying “yeah we want to shop Luka around, what’ll you give us for him?” And LA goes “uh…” looks around “I guess… AD? Straight up?” And Dallas was like “Done”.

Pretty bizarre indeed.

They didnt shop Luka. Lol.

 

[husky429]

Lakers always seem to be involved in the biggest trades. I don't get how this has been a constant thing for the past 20 years or so.

It's LA. Players want to be there.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Anthony Davis has a championship and is a top 10 player in the league lol

For how long? Not much longer.

It's all weird to me. Dallas has promising young players at center. Now has a massive hole where Luka was. LA has no center at all and has two guys who can't stand spending more than a few moments without the ball in their hand. Hard to imagine a much worse fit than Luka and Lebron. Both teams got worse unless more moves are coming.