Is Luka for AD the most shocking trade of all time

[tc1]

As for who "won" the trade... depending on what else they do...this likely ends the "punchers chance" that the Lakers had at a title this season but sets them up to be contenders for the next several years.

I don't love the construction of the Lakers' current roster, and I've hated Pelinka's inability to understand the value of tall players for a long time now, but was the Maverick's roster last year better than the Lakers' (healthy) roster now?

I don't see it. So if Dallas had a puncher's chance last year, I don't see any reason why the Lakers don't today.

The Lakers have __two__ players who have gone to the Finals without much help. Can any team match that?

Comparing rosters, we have:

2025 Lakers

James, Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura, Hayes, Finney-Smith, Knecht, Vanderbilt, Milton, Koloko, Reddish, Jemison

2024 Mavericks

Doncic, Irving, Washington, Hardaway Jr, Jones Jr, Gafford, Lively, Green, Kleber, Exum


Doncic cancels out. James is better than Irving. Hachimura is not worse than Washington. Reaves is way better than anyone else on Dallas, and the rest are pretty comparable. Tell me why Dallas had a chance but Los Angeles doesn't. I realize the Lakers could use better bigs, but it isn't as thought Gafford and Lively are All-Stars -- Doncic led the Mavs in rebounding by a ton.

 

[tc1]

Then you don't follow basketball like at all.....that is how he earned PT in Miami.

As I said, a lot of undrafted guys have played in Miami -- and nowhere else. Pat Riley has seen more quality basketball up-close than any living human, and he's learned a few things. He hasn't shared a lot of them, but he seemingly did with Spoelstra.

 

[tc1]

This is not close to as bad as Minnesota’s trade to get Rudy.

Not in the ballpark.

I thought he was talking about the Towns trade.

 

[tc1]

We got trash besides Luka. Morris prolly getting cut and Kleiber not playing much IMO.

If you paid any attention at all, you'd know that Kleber has a broken foot and is out of the season.

This has been mentioned here repeatedly. Perhaps spend more time educating yourself, and less time making pathetic attempts at insult.

 

[BigKen]

What is wrong with you?

I'm not a HOOPS Lakers fan???

 

[DJ Fieri]

If you paid any attention at all, you'd know that Kleber has a broken foot and is out of the season.

This has been mentioned here repeatedly. Perhaps spend more time educating yourself, and less time making pathetic attempts at insult.

"Kleber is out for an extended period and has yet to be officially ruled out for the season." Article on ESPN Jan 25th.

Hmmmmmm......but alright.

 

[Mebert]

I thought he was talking about the Towns trade.

Na, i still don't mind that one. When a game really matters Towns will pick up 3 consecutive offensive fouls and forget to go down the court to play defense so he can complain at the ref.

He is fun in the regular season though

 

[DJ Fieri]

He could return late in the season or in the postseason.

 

[Mebert]

"Kleber is out for an extended period and has yet to be officially ruled out for the season."

Hmmmmmm......but alright.

I have read everything from 1 to 3 months. Seems like nobody really knows how long.

 

[DJ Fieri]

I have read everything from 1 to 3 months. Seems like nobody really knows how long.

Except tc1.

 

[tlance]

I thought he was talking about the Towns trade.

He wasn’t.

The Townes trade was what it was for the same reason Ingram doesn’t have trade value.

Townes is a much better player than Ingram.

But his heart and work ethic have been in question. Teams don’t want to pay a ton of assets and then have to pay Townes a huge contract on top of it.

Not saying he is a bad contract. He isn’t.

But he wasn’t a trade asset last year either.

Why the Knicks were able to pry him for Randle (who also people don’t want to trade for) and DDV (who is an asset).

Relatively small return

 

[tlance]

Barring an Edwards injury i only see the 2029 as a possibility to turn into an earlier pick. 16 is probably the earliest pick conveying in that trade.

Is 2028 when Ant can become an RFA?

If so, I agree

But even if 1 pick becomes lottery you got absolutely fleeced.

Gobert is barely worth his contract. And that is debatebale

 

[tc1]

Will be very good for another 6 years,

That is exceedingly unlikely.

Big men who have been anywhere near their prime past 35 years of age include: []

Injury-prone big men who have been effective players past 35 years of age include: []

Even some players with vastly shortly injury history than Davis were just about done by 35. Olajuwon never played close to full season after 34. Moses Malone played 1 full season after 34. Dwight Howard was done at 32 as starter.

This is not a game for tall, old men ( relatively speaking ).

 

[Mebert]

That is exceedingly unlikely.

Big men who have been anywhere near their prime past 35 years of age include: []

Injury-prone big men who have been effective players past 35 years of age include: []

Even some players with vastly shortly injury history than Davis were just about done by 35. Olajuwon never played close to full season after 34. Moses Malone played 1 full season after 34. Dwight Howard was done at 32 as starter.

This is not a game for tall, old men ( relatively speaking ).

Very good and playing like his orime are to very different things. After the next few years he won't be a primary option for a team, but I see him similar to KG. 16ish points, 10ish rebounds and still a key part of a defense.

AD is not going to just vanish as a positive on the court, being very good but not elite into mid 30s is a reasonable expectation.

 

[Mebert]

He wasn’t.

The Townes trade was what it was for the same reason Ingram doesn’t have trade value.

Townes is a much better player than Ingram.

But his heart and work ethic have been in question. Teams don’t want to pay a ton of assets and then have to pay Townes a huge contract on top of it.

Not saying he is a bad contract. He isn’t.

But he wasn’t a trade asset last year either.

Why the Knicks were able to pry him for Randle (who also people don’t want to trade for) and DDV (who is an asset).

Relatively small return

Is Randle opts out and that can make Reid sign an extension as the primary 4 then that trade is good for the wolves.

If Wolves lost Reid than the Gobert trade is even worse, because the 2029 pick will be top 3 after Ant bails as well.

 

[tc1]

He wasn’t.

The Townes trade was what it was for the same reason Ingram doesn’t have trade value.

Townes is a much better player than Ingram.

There's no "e" in Towns -- just in case you want to sound like you know what you are talking about.

Towns' makes $60M, Ingram makes $36M. I hope you can recognize that these numbers are not similar. And Towns doesn't actually produce all that much more than Ingram does -- last year, their counting stats were almost a wash:

Towns 21.8 / 8.3 / 3.0
Ingram 20.8 / 5.6 / 5.2

Ironically, the player who was the centerpiece of the return for Towns is a player that New Orleans let walk because Ingram was better.

PS I was actually kidding about the Towns trade, and just ribbing the Wolves' fan for no reason.

 

[tlance]

There's no "e" in Towns -- just in case you want to sound like you know what you are talking about.

Towns' makes $60M, Ingram makes $36M. I hope you can recognize that these numbers are not similar. And Towns doesn't actually produce all that much more than Ingram does -- last year, their counting stats were almost a wash:

Towns 21.8 / 8.3 / 3.0
Ingram 20.8 / 5.6 / 5.2

Ironically, the player who was the centerpiece of the return for Towns is a player that New Orleans let walk because Ingram was better.

PS I was actually kidding about the Towns trade, and just ribbing the Wolves' fan for no reason.

And none were valuable trade assets at the time they dealt.

Randle was a contract. DDV was the asset

Pick in my typo all you want, my analysis is spot on.

You are failing to comprehend player value relative to their contracts.

 

[DJ Fieri]

Very good and playing like his orime are to very different things. After the next few years he won't be a primary option for a team, but I see him similar to KG. 16ish points, 10ish rebounds and still a key part of a defense.

AD is not going to just vanish as a positive on the court, being very good but not elite into mid 30s is a reasonable expectation.

That sounds about right.

I loved him on the Lakers and hate losing him but you have to give up something to get something in return. And Luka gives us a star to build around when Bron is gone. Assuming he wants to stay in LA.

 

[DJ Fieri]

And none were valuable trade assets at the time they dealt.

Randle was a contract. DDV was the asset

Pick in my typo all you want, my analysis is spot on.

You are failing to comprehend player value relative to their contracts.

He's straight up trolling. Has to be.

 

[tc1]

Very good and playing like his orime are to very different things. After the next few years he won't be a primary option for a team, but I see him similar to KG. 16ish points, 10ish rebounds and still a key part of a defense.

AD is not going to just vanish as a positive on the court, being very good but not elite into mid 30s is a reasonable expectation.

Garnett practically never missed a game in his twenties. And he never played a full season after age 31. Only broke 70 games, once, and that was 71.

There is a very good chance that Davis is playing on his last contract right now.

As I said, people tend to wildly overrate the durability and value of old NBA bigs.