TRADE: Luka Doncic to Lakers, Anthony Davis to Mavericks

[ZenMaster]

Bro it’s 2025, not 2020. There are young monsters around the league.

Sengun, Thompson, Garland, Mobley, Holmgrem, Jalen Williams, Wagner, Banchero.

Luka is enough to get any combo of these guys AND picks.

What makes you think a team like Orlando would give up their two young all star level forwards for Doncic who'd be a free agent after next season and could just leave?

[ZenMaster]

Bet the supermax was a large factor. Doncic is worth supermax but if you can replace him with an elite player who you don't have to pay 70 mil per to that is a big deal if your team owners care about the money. Add in that he's got a work ethic more like Shaq's than Kobe's and there are a lot of valid reasons for Dallas to do this even though they got the older player with less upside.

Obviously the super max is a huge deal, it's almost impossible to field a championship contender around anyone making 60-70 mill with how the cap works now.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Obviously the super max is a huge deal, it's almost impossible to field a championship contender around anyone making 60-70 mill with how the cap works now.

The current champ has two supermax players. But it is harder to make improvements once you hand out that money.

[rawimpact]

Luka on the Lakers feels so tacky. He is young so like CP3 on the Clippers, he could mesh with the franchise and leave a big impression. But the Lakers absolutely suck unlike Lob City.

I’m still not even used to seeing LeBron as a Laker and won’t ever remember him as such.

Terrible for the league. The Mavericks franchise died on Saturday. Luka was the lineal ****ing superstar like Magic after Kareem or Kobe after Magic.

Except it's completely different. The lakers just got a whole lot younger to essentially rebuild. The clippers were very young needing a vet. I think a lot of people are forgetting Lebron is no longer part of LA's future. Dude will be out in 2 years... that said, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 lakers have their first round drafts. When Lebron comes off the books, that's going to be a 50M salary dump. The timing could not have been better. Am I saying lakers are completely rebuilding from picks? No... lakers have never done this historically to win. But those picks and huge cap space allows them to obtain assets.

[tontoz]

Who is it you think they could've gotten instead of AD, while still remaining a championship contender? Giannis? Jokic? Shai?

The only way to know is to talk to other teams which they didn't do. And i am not so sure about them being a title contender with AD and Irving as the two main guys. Their history speaks for itself. Luka getting traded could easily cause Irving to go back into flake mode and AD could go into sulk mode leaving LA.

If AD walks after next season then all they have to show for Luka is Christie and a 1st.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Davis seems willing to give this a shot. He waived his trade kicker so they're still able to make some improvements. Him and Irving have 2 or 3 years to win a ring. I don't think they will but if they stay healthy is not impossible.

[rawimpact]

Davis seems willing to give this a shot. He waived his trade kicker so they're still able to make some improvements. Him and Irving have 2 or 3 years to win a ring. I don't think they will but if they stay healthy is not impossible.

Timing with the west being in shambles is prob. right for a WCF run. I doubt they get past the C's the next few years though.

[999Guy]

Except it's completely different. The lakers just got a whole lot younger to essentially rebuild. The clippers were very young needing a vet. I think a lot of people are forgetting Lebron is no longer part of LA's future. Dude will be out in 2 years... that said, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 lakers have their first round drafts. When Lebron comes off the books, that's going to be a 50M salary dump. The timing could not have been better. Am I saying lakers are completely rebuilding from picks? No... lakers have never done this historically to win. But those picks and huge cap space allows them to obtain assets.

Luka's been apart of a rebuild. Why would he want to do it again? He's gonna control his own destiny, I'm telling you. But we'll see.

The Lakers could pull off some magical shit but they are absolutely on the clock.

Luka was mentally ready to truly win an NBA finals series this year with Dallas. Being expected to scrap up a play in berth and then lose in the second round at best will sour him fast.

[ZenMaster]

The current champ has two supermax players. But it is harder to make improvements once you hand out that money.

Exactly, it's very hard to compete paying that much money to one player unless you have conditions for it that are just right.

The only way to know is to talk to other teams which they didn't do. And i am not so sure about them being a title contender with AD and Irving as the two main guys. Their history speaks for itself. Luka getting traded could easily cause Irving to go back into flake mode and AD could go into sulk mode leaving LA.

If AD walks after next season then all they have to show for Luka is Christie and a 1st.

There was a rumor out there that they asked about Giannis and were turned down.
If Kyrie and AD wants to sulk instead of competing for an NBA championship then that's on them, they both have championship experience and know what it takes to win.

[dankok8]

Dallas just got worse because relying on Kyrie + AD to stay healthy is a big gamble. Not to mention the team has no PG facilitator so even while they get better defensively, they get worse offensively. For LA, the move is also a lateral move at best given the poor Luka/Lebron fit but for them it's a long-term move. And honestly if they do keep Bron and can add a defensive C, they are better than they were. Probably still not enough to win it all but definitely not worse.

The only explanation for Dallas doing this is that Luka told them privately that he won't re-sign with them or they know something about his health that we and presumably the Lakers don't. I won't be shocked if Luka is much more motivated in LA, loses weight and plays better than he has recently. Wouldn't surprise me one bit!

[tontoz]

Dallas just got worse because relying on Kyrie + AD to stay healthy is a big gamble. Not to mention the team has no PG facilitator so even while they get better defensively, they get worse offensively. For LA, the move is also a lateral move at best given the poor Luka/Lebron fit but for them it's a long-term move. And honestly if they do keep Bron and can add a defensive C, they are better than they were. Probably still not enough to win it all but definitely not worse.

The only explanation for Dallas doing this is that Luka told them privately that he won't re-sign with them or they know something about his health that we and presumably the Lakers don't. I won't be shocked if Luka is much more motivated in LA, loses weight and plays better than he has recently. Wouldn't surprise me one bit!

Conditioning is Lebron's thing and Luka idolizes Lebron so i would think some of that work ethic will rub off. Didn't Shaq lose weight after the Lakers traded him to Miami? Rejection can be a great motivator.

I keep hearing about AD playing the 4 now which would be a spacing disaster.

[SouBeachTalents]

Conditioning is Lebron's thing and Luka idolizes Lebron so i would think some of that work ethic will rub off. Didn't Shaq lose weight after the Lakers traded him to Miami? Rejection can be a great motivator.

I keep hearing about AD playing the 4 now which would be a spacing disaster.

I honestly don't think this is a great setup for the Mavs. I agree AD at the 4 isn't ideal for spacing purposes, esp with their centers, but Kyrie being the main playmaker is an even bigger concern to me. He's clearly better suited as a teams secondary scoring option, which is why he thrived with LeBron taking over the lead playmaking role. I don't think being the main playmaker is a role that suits Kyrie's talents best.

We'll see how things play out, for all I know they can put everything together a make a deep playoff run, but it's not something I would necessarily bet on happening. You also have to imagine the morale with the Mavs players is low right now, they just got blindsided by their franchise player being shipped out in shocking fashion.

[tpols]

Dallas just got worse because relying on Kyrie + AD to stay healthy is a big gamble. Not to mention the team has no PG facilitator so even while they get better defensively, they get worse offensively. For LA, the move is also a lateral move at best given the poor Luka/Lebron fit but for them it's a long-term move. And honestly if they do keep Bron and can add a defensive C, they are better than they were. Probably still not enough to win it all but definitely not worse.

The only explanation for Dallas doing this is that Luka told them privately that he won't re-sign with them or they know something about his health that we and presumably the Lakers don't. I won't be shocked if Luka is much more motivated in LA, loses weight and plays better than he has recently. Wouldn't surprise me one bit!

If he gets in the loop with Lebrons doctor and "clinic" team everybody is in trouble.

A lean, anabolic Luka would be scary.

[rawimpact]

Luka's been apart of a rebuild. Why would he want to do it again? He's gonna control his own destiny, I'm telling you. But we'll see.

The Lakers could pull off some magical shit but they are absolutely on the clock.

Luka was mentally ready to truly win an NBA finals series this year with Dallas. Being expected to scrap up a play in berth and then lose in the second round at best will sour him fast.

Lakers rebuild can happen in one offseason. They're quite good at these things somehow.

No doubt the current situation sucks for Luka, but I'm sure he knows his chances of winning a chip are greater being with LA vs Mavs because even if AD and Kyrie do, does anyone see them getting past the Celtics?

[90sgoat]

I think it's quite possible that Giannis could sign with Lakers as a free agent, but that's some time off isn't it?