The trade is explained by the financial savings for the Dallas ownership, who may truly have been worried about Luka's conditioning (wouldn't you be if you were shelling out almost 500 million a year for 7 years?). And no, there's no guarantee some other team would have been willing to pick up that contract if Luka's conditioning and diet issues continued. In the apron age, teams are having to be more careful about how they spread their dollars. And there's already one team who turned down Luka before at his current contract cost ...
As usual in the NBA, money makes itself heard.
I don't understand the outrage across the league. I'm not a Lakers' fan but all this envy of their "fortune" is pathetic.
Even if we stipulate everything you're saying (and I don't think we necessarily should, for various reasons), that does not explain not opening up the bidding to more teams and getting only a 31-year-old Anthony Davis and a first-round pick in return for him.
Maybe we are looking at this deal wrong. Maybe neither Pelinka nor Harrison are the villains here, because Danny Ainge will do anything for two second round picks and a young guard with two years of potential under his belt. Yup, Trader Danny hypnotized everybody.
And yet Lakers/Mavs isnt the most unbalanced trade of the day, because the Bulls did what they do with deals - flub them. Zack LaVine for magic beanpoles. Did they even ask if Keegan Murray or Keldon Johnson or Stephon Castle would like Pequod's pizza or a cameo on the Bear? Zach ends up right next to DeMar, again, so Chicago fans can watch Sacramento do what Mild Bill Donovan never could figure out, how to play three good to great players at the same time productively. Maybe Kevin Huerte can combine with Chris Duarte for ten points or ten minutes a game. Dont hate the players, hate the GMs.
The trade is explained by the financial savings for the Dallas ownership, who may truly have been worried about Luka's conditioning (wouldn't you be if you were shelling out almost 500 million a year for 7 years?). And no, there's no guarantee some other team would have been willing to pick up that contract if Luka's conditioning and diet issues continued. In the apron age, teams are having to be more careful about how they spread their dollars. And there's already one team who turned down Luka before at his current contract cost ...
As usual in the NBA, money makes itself heard.
I don't understand the outrage across the league. I'm not a Lakers' fan but all this envy of their "fortune" is pathetic.
Thanks for reading.
Even if we stipulate everything you're saying (and I don't think we necessarily should, for various reasons), that does not explain not opening up the bidding to more teams and getting only a 31-year-old Anthony Davis and a first-round pick in return for him.
Of course we can question, but we know nothing other than the definite financial part and the speculative worry about Luka's conditioning.
Neither explains for me this feeling of outrage you (and many other media members) seem to feel.
I explained it pretty clearly explained in the post. Clearly you don't agree, which is fine.
Clearly. 😄
Because it's the Lakers! They poach other teams' superstars while dumping their own picks instead of developing a team with chemistry and continuity.
Well...at least Beyonce won two Grammys.
Maybe we are looking at this deal wrong. Maybe neither Pelinka nor Harrison are the villains here, because Danny Ainge will do anything for two second round picks and a young guard with two years of potential under his belt. Yup, Trader Danny hypnotized everybody.
And yet Lakers/Mavs isnt the most unbalanced trade of the day, because the Bulls did what they do with deals - flub them. Zack LaVine for magic beanpoles. Did they even ask if Keegan Murray or Keldon Johnson or Stephon Castle would like Pequod's pizza or a cameo on the Bear? Zach ends up right next to DeMar, again, so Chicago fans can watch Sacramento do what Mild Bill Donovan never could figure out, how to play three good to great players at the same time productively. Maybe Kevin Huerte can combine with Chris Duarte for ten points or ten minutes a game. Dont hate the players, hate the GMs.