The Luka Dončić trade involves two players that are among the best the NBA has to offer. It’s not a reach to say that both fan bases were shocked by the Lakers trading Anthony Davis for the Dallas Mavericks’ 26-year-old scoring machine.
The trade also left internet sleuths and media heads searching for answers, as the trade was made in the middle of the night on a weekend and apparently without the knowledge of Dallas’ franchise player.
Dončić Trade Was A Message By NBA Ownership To Players
Trades of this magnitude can happen quickly, but rarely without the consent of the franchise player being traded and almost never without his knowledge.
Such a trade indicates that there were multiple problems behind the scenes with Luka and the Mavericks organization, while other NBA insiders suggest that it was ownership trying to put its foot down and regain control of a league that has gotten out of hand with the luxuries, forced trades, team-hopping, load management and freedoms contracted players enjoy.
Jimmy Butler’s recent behavior that got him suspended from the Miami Heat and now has positioned him as an enemy of the franchise is another example of the nonsense NBA owners want to stop.
Rob Parker Says Dallas Mavericks Dumped Luka To Send A Message
FS1 “Odd Couple” sports host Rob Parker says the Luka trade is deeper than basketball. It’s the owners re-setting the table and sending a message that they run the show.
“Luka was dumped by the Mavericks,” said Parker on Monday’s show. “You can say they just wanted defense and AD… and all that…No, no, no. They looked at their situation and said we gotta pay this guy $350M this summer. He’s a top 3 or 4 player in the NBA. He just took your franchise to the NBA title eight months ago. Not four years ago.“
“We get it, he’s hurt, he hasn’t been playing since Christmas,” Parker continued. “I get all that. But you know what he does when he gets on the court, and they (still) said, ‘Thanks but no thanks, and they did it in the cloak of night.”
”They announce it 1 a.m. Eastern on a Saturday night. What trade was made at that time?”
Anthony Edwards Says Dončić Being Traded Is Wakeup Call To Other young Superstars
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards expressed great surprise by the trade, and if NBA owners were trying to put a scare into NBA superstars about the expendability of a max money player who isn’t living up to his responsibilities on and off the court, the 23-year-old sensation got the message loud and clear.
“That’s crazy,” said Ant-Man, who signed a five-year/$260 million contract extension with Minnesota in July of 2023, prior to them dumping his All-Star teammate Karl Anthony-Towns in a blockbuster trade with the Knicks this past offseason. “At 25 they traded probably the best scorer in the NBA … and he didn’t know about it. There’s a lot more digging somebody got to do to find out why he got traded, ’cause you don’t just trade him at 25. He just went to the Finals. You know what I’m saying?”
”I feel bad for Luka,” Edwards continued. “I saw something on YouTube that says he just bought a crib and everything in Dallas, so that sucks.”
“I’m scared, yeah. I’m scared. … [Timberwolves president of basketball operations] Tim [Connelly], if you’re gonna trade me, let me know, dog.”
Dončić Trade To Lakers Is No Punishment: It’s An Upgrade for His Professional Career
The Dončić trade has shown that no superstar is safe in the NBA, which we know is a copycat league. That doesn’t just include style of play and systems being run. You could be the best player in the game and if you take too many liberties without the rings to back it up you might end up on another team.
Now, going to the L.A. Lakers is not exactly a demotion. As far as brand potential is concerned, it’s an upgrade for Luka. The Lakers also satisfy their need for a superstar player to take over once LeBron James hangs it up.
But is a new precedent being set in the NBA? Only time will tell. As Edwards said, once some real digging is done and other information surfaces, we will be able to analyze the trade with a clearer perspective of what was going on behind the scenes.
