An Updating List Of Everything Dumb About The Luka Doncic Trade For Dallas
So, so stupid.
Dumb Things About the Luka Doncic trade
The Mavs traded Luka Doncic.
They traded Luka Doncic at age 25.
They traded Doncic after making the NBA Finals the year before and after putting the best roster around him before you really had a chance to judge how far this team could go.
Dallas traded him for a 32-year-old, often-injured injured player.
They received one first-round pick.
They did not receive any swaps.
They sent out a second-rounder.
They did so without Doncic asking out.
The Mavs both cited concern about his upcoming extension eligibility and denied that Doncic had told them he would not re-sign.
Nico Harrison genuinely believes Anthony Davis is a better player than Luka Doncic.
The Mavs are now victims of the Observer Effect, where the act of being observed influences the behavior of the subject being observed. Luka Doncic is now aware that the Mavericks felt he was out of shape and lazy, so they traded him. He will work to not be lazy and out of shape because they leaked that. He will be the player the Mavericks wanted him to be because of the very fact they traded him.
The Mavericks returned one first-round pick, compared to four for Rudy Gobert, five for Mikal Bridges, and five for Dejounte Murray. To make this move, you had to backstop it. If your genius plan to add Anthony Davis because you think he has “Mamba Mentalilty” or whatever the hell you think he has falls through, you need to be able to say “we’re set for the future. So not only did you only get one pick for *Luka Doncic* but you got substantially less for him in future assets than definably worse players.
Nico Harrison not only didn’t develop a market for Doncic, he actively worked in secret with just one trade partner, his good friend and business colleague from his Nike days, Rob Pelinka. In doing so, he denied himself the opportunity to get the kind of return that sets up a team for the future and at least leaves the fanbase with some level of hope to replace some of the joy that was stolen from them.
Dallas trashed him on the way out, questioning his conditioning and work ethic. He looked sad and confused at his introductory press conference as a Laker, the only player in NBA history to do so. Your franchise megastar left for the Lakers and you made him the *good guy*.
In doing so, you denied fans a pivotal part of fans’ healing from sports loss. You should be able to build up some sort of resentment when the guy leaves so you can close the wound. “We’re better off without him.” “He didn’t want us anyway.” Dallas fans have none of that. And that leads us to…
Harrison fundamentally and deeply misunderstood the relationship between fans and Doncic, which is WILD for a former shoe branding executive. Of all people to understand the relationship between a player and his fans, it should be Harrison. But instead, Harrison seems like he just thought, “Well, he’s a great player, but there are lots of great players, like AD!” No. Fail. Do not pass Go. Luka is the kind of athlete and performer that people “cape for” until their final days. Dallas fans were more attached to Doncic than the franchise. Do I think that’s healthy and good? No, I do not. We should be fans of teams in our communities, not superstars because of their highlights. But also, who gives a damn what I think and the reality is that your fanbase was devoted to Doncic. They wanted to see him rise above all the criticism. They wanted to see him prove all the haters (which yours truly could be only partially unfairly described as) wrong. They wanted to see Luka with tears in his eyes as a champion, screaming, “Dallas, this is for you!” (He would not do that.) Harrison denied Dallas fans not only the chance to watch their favorite player but to get closure on his time in Dallas. They’re just left with a gaping wound.
The Mavericks made an all-in play based on the success of last season’s playoffs. Now, if you remember with any accuracy, you’ll know that Luka wasn’t actually great in that playoff run. He struggled due to injuries in the Clippers and Thunder series, but his gravity opened up things for PJ Washington to shoot above his head, and then when OKC had to adjust, Luka was able to close the series out. Then he was phenomenal in the conference finals and then was absolutely destroyed in the Finals. But the key is that you can only count on two hands the number of stars you absolutely can trust to be the best player in a conference finals series. Luka was one of them. Wanting to go all-in on last year’s run is somehow believing too much in a team that made a fluke run and not enough in a player who was instrumental in your making that run.
They bet against Luka’s injury availability with… Anthony Davis, the man nicknamed “Anthony Day-to-Davis.” Davis has been primarily healthy the past two seasons, but there are so many miles and so many small injuries on him. He left the game in his Dallas debut with an injury.
They traded him midseason. You had the same opportunity to do this deal this summer before you opened up negotiations for the super-max. By doing so midseason, you caused chaos that your team has to adapt to in the moment and had to deal with the circus of Saturday’s first home game. Was there any reason not to make this deal this summer if you were going to do it? Are you that confident in winning a title with AD and the rest of this roster?
They traded him to the Lakers, the team that all Western Conference contenders have to deal with in attracting star players. And you just GAVE him ot them. Do you think they’re done? Do you think this is the only star they’re going to get? When LeBron retires and they have Luka Doncic, what do you think will happen?
Ownership laughed when Harrison first approached them about the deal. He did it anyway.
Rob Pelinka first thought Harrison was joking when he suggested the trade. He did it anyway. Heads up, if your owner laughs and the guy you want to trade with thinks you’re kidding, those should be signs for you to maybe not do it.
The list of players you would not trade for Doncic is as follows: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and probably Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Celtics fans were very mad that I suggested Doncic has more trade value than Tatum. I said they would not trade him but those conversations would be had. Still, you could justify the idea of Jayson Tatum for Doncic. You can not for Davis, Max Christie, and a pick.
Let’s go back to the market. Your job as POBO is to look out for what’s best for the organization. You love Anthony Davis. Fine. You think you can win a title with him next to the roster you have. OK, most people won’t agree and will think you’re insane, but sure. There is no cost to building a market. Reports said that Harrison was worried that leaks would ultimately sink the deal. Except here are the outcomes:
Intense fan pressure sinks the deal by getting to ownership. But if it is not readily apparent to ownership that it is a no-brainer, then you should not do it.
Intense fan pressure creates an environment that makes it difficult to do the trade, but ultimately, you’re the POBO. You have the power to do this deal as long as the Lakers want to do it. Do you think fan pressure was going to lead the Lakers to change their mind? If you do, you are taking way too much of what Rob Pelinka was selling.
The Mavericks ducked the tax in the move. That’s just like an extra kick in the nuts for fans. “Not only did we trade your favorite player and the franchise savior and someone who many thought was the reincarnation of their personal Lord and Savior but after we did it we saved money while your tickets still cost the same.”
This post will update with new suggestions and developments.