Around the League - '24-25 Season

[KG4Ever]

I have to believe the league has something to do with this. The Lakers will be relevant again for the next 10 years. With interest in the league on the decline, they did what they always do, build up the team in LA. How in the world does this make sense for the Mavs?

It sure makes you wonder, Cool. But I can’t believe an NBA owner with billions of dollars would do something against his team’s interests simply to accommodate Adam Silver. The League isn’t that powerful. Nevertheless, I have to believe Dallas could have gotten a much better return for Luka from some other team. Apparently, the Mavs are worried about Luka’s poor conditioning but Anthony Davis has been as physically fragile as a thin pane of glass and is entering the down slope of his career. Getting only one future first round pick way out in 2029 is chicken feed.

So I’m still left wondering, although I’m not ready to go down the conspiracy rabbit hole just yet. Maybe Luka told the Mavs he’s not going to opt in after next season. But that’s far enough out that it shouldn’t motivate the Mavs to trade him now. Moreover, there had to be teams out there willing to provide something better than AD and a 2029 first round pick return. Maybe the Mavs head of basketball operations is simply an idiot. Or maybe he’s been celebrating the growing legalization of recreational weed. It’s weird and it also sucks because it’s going to make the Lakers, the only NBA team I hate, much better and they’re already ahead of the Wolves in the standings.

But why always the Lakers? In the early 70's it was Wilt. Toward the end of the decade it was Kareem. Then Shaq, Pau, Lebron, and now Luka. Why are teams always so anxious to supplement the team in LA? Like you said Lip, is this really the best return they could have gotten? No way.

With Kyrie and AD at the end of their prime, how long before the Mavs are back in the lottery?

Hey, the Lakers are Minnesota's original NBA Team and have won titles in Minny, so I'm not hating on that franchise. Go Lakers! Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have been the worst existing NBA franchise and having traded away control of all but one first round draft pick, have nothing to get the talent they need to build around Ant. Wolves peaked last year and it will be a downhill slide. Everyone has hated on Glen Taylor and waited for him to go, but the new ownership group so far looks to be equally incompetent.

[Wolvesfan21]

They did it for the clicks. Viewership has been down and this is a major news story.

Maybe the Mavs and their doctors are really concerned that Luka and his leg/knee is going to likely become Embiid and not play much over the next five years while paying him 350 million. But then the return doesn't make much sense. Sure AD when healthy himself is a top player in the league but he's also 31 almost 32. I can't see him staying healthy either in the near term. Maybe a greater risk then Luka considering age.

[60WinTim]

The Jazz or waiving Mo Bamba in order to facilitate the Luka trade. If the Wolves do nothing else, they could check in on Mo to see if there is some interest. He would add a defensive minded big behind Rudy.

[Coolbreeze44]

The league feeds the Lakers and they have for a long time. With domestic interest at a low, they had to do something.

[Coolbreeze44]

This kind of encapsulates my feelings on the trade:



Will Cain
@willcain
How does Luka get traded. Period.

How is he not shopped around?

How does no one in the league know he’s available?

How does he go to the Lakers like every other star?

How will the league recover from bad ratings? Oh…

[Q-is-here]

Dallas lost, Clipper lost, and Detroit won. That takes a little bit of the sting off last night! But just a little....

[Phenom]

Dallas lost, Clipper lost, and Detroit won. That takes a little bit of the sting off last night! But just a little....

The Wolves should have a great shot at top 6 now, I think, if this health stuff sorts out soon.

[thedoper]

Fox to Spurs, Lavine to Sac

[thedoper]

The new trade landscape involves way fewer picks than before. Crazy how much we gave up for Rudy in retrospect.

[Q-is-here]

The new trade landscape involves way fewer picks than before. Crazy how much we gave up for Rudy in retrospect.

It was a lot, but here is who we didn't have to give up (at the time): KAT, Ant, Jaden, and Naz. The result was a trip to the WCF and invaluable playoff experience for the latter three.

And here we sit lauding the defense of Jaylen Clark, complaining about playing time for Rob Dillingham, and how on earth can we get a look at TJ Shannon. The cupboard isn't so empty after all....