The Trade Heard Around The World

 

I'm still in shock that this trade even happened.

Saying "Luka Doncic is a Laker" still feels like a joke. It's fake news. But it's not. 

The golden rule when it comes to following these NBA trade news is that if it hasn't been reported by Adrian Wojnarowski nor Shams Charania (more so the latter), it's not real. It a clickbait.

This trade still doesn't feel real that Shams had to confirm it not once, but multiple times on a late Saturday night that this was not a drill.

So here's the quick breakdown: the Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Utah Jazz engaged in a 3-team trade. Utah gets Jalen Hood-Schifino, one of the Clippers' 2nd round pick, and the Mavs' 2nd round pick. But the real meat behind this trade is the Lakers get Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris (welcome back BTW) in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first round pick.

That was it. That's all it took to get Luka.

Now as we're trying to get our minds settled in, let me make this perfectly clear in my opinion of this. This move is not a "win now" move. Let's be realistic here. When you look at the outlook of the roster this season, this was by no means a championship roster. Even though this team is surging and currently 5th in the West, I see this team at best getting bounced in the 1st round in the playoffs. And the biggest weakness the Lakers was that they had no other solid big man besides Anthony Davis. And now that AD is gone, the Lakers now have a big void to fill. This team is not going to win with Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko playing meaningful minutes. And even if and when Christian Wood creeps back into the rotation, they don't have a reliable big. Their literal frontcourt is a 40-year old LeBron, Rui, Vando, and Dorian Finney-Smith and Hayes and Koloko in that true Center spot. This team is going to get wrecked when they run into opponents that have an elite big like the Nuggets and Jokic. 

With AD no longer anchoring the paint and getting players into position defensively, the Lakers are gonna get exposed night in and night out. Luka is not a great defender. Austin Reaves not a great defender. LeBron? At this stage of his career? Not a great defender. Besides Vando and DFS who can guard positions 1-5, that is not enough to cover most of the Lakers' deficiencies. And you consider the fit too. LeBron and Luka are both ball dominant players. And one of them is going to have to sacrifice their game to get the Lakers to win basketball games. It's exciting that you have two high-IQ players that can score and pass the ball and rebound. But somebody has to cede responsibilities to make this pairing work.

That is the short-term outlook. The long-term outlook? As mentioned, LeBron is 40 and he can walk away from the NBA anytime soon. And the Lakers as a franchise needs to look at the future of this team. And they have two choices: 1) you can keep AD and build around him, but at best he's only got 2-3 more great years of basketball left before his body breaks down or 2) you can build around a 25-26 year old Luka Doncic. Weight problems aside, he's already a top 5 superstar and a MVP-caliber player and his best basketball is still yet to come.

It's simple, you choose the latter. You build around Luka freakin' Doncic! If he's available, you take it. No questions asked.

And this is what's mind boggling to me. Of all the teams to help the Lakers solve their bleak post-LeBron future, the Dallas Mavericks? This trade reminded me of the fact that Mark Cuban is no longer in charge of that franchise. He sold his majority stake. And this trade wouldn't fly with him if he was still in charge because he wants the Lakers to essentially suck forever and he'll die on that hill! But this team under the current ownership, just gifted their franchise cornerstone to the Lakers before he was able to reach the peak of his basketball career! Like we are not getting a true superstar who is washed like trades of yesteryear. We are getting a superstar that is close to his prime or at his prime already. Luka is already an offensive juggernaut, defensive deficiencies aside, weight aside. He can score from anywhere and he's an absolute magician with the ball in his hands. He's not the flashiest player nor is he super athletic, but he's incredibly crafty with the basketball. And I'm not gonna lie when I say this, but he was one of my favorite players to watch that's not on the Lakers until now. Every fantasy team I drafted, I was gunning for Luka if I was in position to draft him.

If you're a Mavs fan, I understand how confusing this is, how torn you must be because you're not used to this. This is like if they gave us Dirk Nowitzki to team up with Kobe Bryant in exchange for Pau Gasol and Shannon Brown. And the reason your team gave away Luka like that was they were "concerned" about his weight and conditioning. And they believe defense wins championships that's why they got AD. With all due respect, AD is a beast when healthy, a top two-way player in the league when healthy. And he'll finally have quality big men to play alongside with in Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford. But with this trade, it is absolutely essential for Dallas to win now or within the next 2-3 years. So this works for them in the short-term. However, it's gonna be too much to ask an old Kyrie, and old Klay, and a soon-to-be-old AD to carry this team to a deep playoff run because all their careers, they have shown that they can't carry a team on their back. These next 2-3 years are gonna define their legacies before their careers are all said and done.

If anything to take from this trade, the Lakers had to think critically about their future. They wasted so many opportunities in the LeBron-AD era. It's sad to think the only defining moment in that era was winning that 2020 bubble championship. And we wish the best of luck to Anthony Davis in Dallas. But this trade to get Luka Doncic, it gives the Lakers' future new life. That was the first step. The 2nd step, they have to build a contender around him in 2-3 years tops. This means find him another superstar whether it's via trade, free agency, or the unthinkable option: draft and develop one and surround him with quality role players who can shoot and defend. Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, JJ Reddick, you were given a rare gift. Use it well.

With that said, thank you Anthony Davis, Max Christie (solid game against NYK last night BTW), and Jalen Hood-Schifino (I forgot you were still on the team). And welcome to the Lake Show, Luka Doncic! I'm excited to see "Luka Magic" bring "Showtime" back to the Lakers in the now and into the future.

James, Davis 2020 - Keep the Lakers Great for 3 More Years

LeBron signed through 2023, AD signed through 2025

Finally, I can have some time to talk about the cream of the crop signings to tie the knot in what was an eventful free agency that the Lakers put together. They bring back Jared Dudley for one more year to retain some stability for chemistry and locker room leadership. And to bring back a guy who will stand up for his teammates. Harp on Dudley if you want. I personally have no problem brining him back. The Lakers gave him a role and he's living up to it. He can still knock down a couple 3 balls at his age.

Okay, jokes aside on "Elmer Fudd" Dudley. You all know where this headline is going. The Lakers may be restoring their greatness as the gold standard of the franchise, but one thing that has been consistent even through the recent years of mediocrity is that they know how to take care of their superstars. Rob Pelinka got it done, inking LeBron James to a two-year extension and re-signing AD to a max contract of $190 million for 5 years. Pretty much, this certifies that the Lakers will be title contenders for awhile as long as the LeBron-AD duo stays in tact. And especially as we usher in AD as the new face of the franchise until he hits free agency again in 2025. Rumors of LeBron's demise last year has been greatly exaggerated as he was able to rebound and lead the Lakers to the 2020 championship. Father time has no answer for him. Regarding the extension, it's no secret that LeBron wants to play with his son, Bronny when he's eligible to hit the league in 2023. You can pretty much connect the dots on this contract.

The Anthony Davis situation is the one that we all were holding are breath on. Prior to LeBron's extension, there were rumors that they were waiting on Giannis Antetokounmpo this season if he was going to extend with the Bucks or hit free agency. I surmised that AD was going to do the Kevin Durant deal with the Warriors and sign a 1+1 deal. One year guaranteed and the other year is a player option which he can opt in and hit free agency with LeBron once his initial 4-year contract is up. That would give the Lakers cap room to possibly sign the Greek Freek and LeBron and the 'Brow would take less money to form an almighty Big 3. I don't know if I should laugh or feel sorry for the rest of the league if that were to happen.

But with the LeBron extension and AD inking a max deal, we can all put that Big 3 talk to rest. I've said this from the very beginning when the Lakers gave up all the young assets (minus Kuzma) to the Pelicans, re-signing AD for the long run would change the fortunes of the franchise. They lose him, they end up right where they were 7 years ago when Dwight Howard bolted for free agency. At least they got a championship out of the trade. But kudos to the Lakers front office for getting this deal done. This ensures that the Lakers will be in good hands for the foreseeable future and it extends their championship window in the now. They will eventually hand over the reins to AD once LeBron hangs it up or departs to wherever team that drafts his son in 2023 (most likely back to Cleveland). The next challenge would be pairing a future star with AD to fill that void. But, that's not until later. The restored greatness of the Lakers extends for a couple more years.

State of The Lakers - The Return of the NBA

Hey Laker Nation! Hope everybody's doing well and finding ways to stay safe in these crazy times we're living in. We all know that the NBA is coming back at the end of July. The top 22 teams in the league are invited to finish up the 2019-20 season at the ESPN sports complex in Orlando, FL. Teams in the lowest seed but are in the hunt are gonna have a "play-in" tournament for the 8th seeds in the playoffs. With that said, the Lakers have the opportunity to finish off what is a "Renaissance" season for the franchise.

In regards to the NBA coming back despite a no end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic, I feel indifferent about this. Yes, we get to see the conclusion of the 2019-20 NBA season and if the Lakers can win it all after Kobe Bryant's tragic death at the beginning of the year. But regardless, if they win a title or not, it'll feel a bit anticlimactic with everything that's going on right now. The NBA is rolling the dice despite a surge of COVID-19 cases. Not to mention, 16 players have tested positive for the virus. There could be many more to come. But, the NBA is not turning back at this point and they're confident that they have a robust health and safety protocol in place for the players and the personnel. Some players have elected to bypass the NBA's reboot, which I'll address later on.

Prior to the suspension of the league, the Lakers were riding high at 49-14 behind the All-Star prowess of LeBron James and Anthony Davis aka "The King and The Brow." Coach Frank Vogel has pressed all of the right buttons and his coaching has improved the Lakers into one of the top defensive teams in the league. This team was beating teams that they were expected to beat. In the last full week of the season, they cemented their elite status with back-to-back wins against the Bucks and the Clippers en route to the franchise's first playoff berth since 2012-13.

The Lakers did lose the last game against Brooklyn prior to the season's suspension. Honestly, I think that loss is a blessing in disguise for the Lakers as the season resumes. They would've lost a significant amount of edge had they come into the resumed season with a winning streak. Look at their revamped schedule: Clippers, Toronto, Utah, OKC, Houston, Indiana, Denver, and Sacramento. They're going up against given playoff contenders right out of the gate. The Kings could be in that category if the chips fall in their favor during the "play in" for the 8th seed. This schedule is tough, but it's a good test for the Lakers to regain that championship edge.

As I mentioned, there are players who are sitting out of the NBA's reboot of 2019-20 season. One of them is the Lakers' own Avery Bradley. Obviously, the loss will hurt the Lakers because AB is their X-factor. He can defend a team's best back court player and can score when he has the stroke. He was huge in the Lakers' last win over the Clippers with 25 points. He will be missed, but there is merit to his decision to sit out, having to take care of his son. I've seen some backlash of his decision, and all I could say is you guys are beyond pieces of human garbage to call him out. Yes, the common NBA athlete earns more that we do in our lifetime, but these athletes are human too. Regarding AB's decision, I completely understand. Regardless of what occupation you have, you have that uneasy feeling of returning to work in these unprecedented times. No one is safe from "La Corona." We love sports, but in times like these, it's secondary. But, that's the Internet in a nutshell.

To sum it up, Avery Bradley won't play. I respect his decision. It's up to the Lakers to fill in his replacement. What we know is that the Lakers did sign Dion Waiters and seems like a suitable shoe-in for AB. The only problem is we don't know what game shape he is in. I guess we can say the same for every player on the roster. But, the Lakers brought in Dion for his shot creation. Will he play after some time off? We don't know. Other names floating around are J.R. Smith and Nick Young. The Lakers have options and Rob Pelinka will do his due diligence. All we know is that 'Bron is 100%. AD is 100%. Kyle Kuzma should be 100% after nagging foot injuries to start the season. Caruso is gonna Carushow. The Lake Show will be locked and loaded. How the NBA's restart plan fares will determine the fate of all pro sports going forward for the remainder of the year.

Lakers 2019-20 Preview: AD - "In the Year of the Brow"

Before I dive in to give my quick two cents, I'd like to take this time to promote my brand new 2019-2020 Lakers Hype Video. This is a follow up to the LeBron-AD hype video I made in August. For this one, I added in the Kawhi Leonard fiasco. A possible Big 3 was brewing, then Kawhi spurned the Lakers for the Clippers instead, bringing Paul George along with him. Now the battle for LA heats up. While the Clippers have been better, last time we checked, the score is still 16 championship banners to selfies. Enjoy the vid and get hyped for Lakers-Clippers tomorrow night!

Now the above is the one I wanted to plug for a quick Raiders 2019 preview and then Antonio Brown happened. Nonetheless, we shouldn't have any drama here, so let's cut right to the chase for the Lakers 2019-20 season outlook.

By last season, the Lakers were in play for Anthony Davis before the trade deadline. They were planning to give up the entire roster for one of Klutch Sports' top client. Unfortunately, Dell Demps, the GM before David Griffin backed out and tried to play the Lakers when in fact he played himself as the Pelicans fired him by season's end. Fast forward to this past summer, with David Griffin in charge, the Lakers and the Pelicans were able to come to a deal to send Anthony Davis to play alongside a well-rested LeBron James in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart. Once again, the Lakers spurn a long-term future for the short term in hopes of winning it all now.

The next domino to fall was Kawhi Leonard. The Lakers dangerously played the waiting game with Kawhi until he left them in the dust for the Clippers. Luckily, the Lakers had a solid plan B in place by resigning JaVale McGee, Rajon Rondo, Alex Caruso, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The Lakers then bolstered their roster by adding vet Jared Dudley and sharpshooter specialist Troy Daniels. I had to throw that out there because I totally forgot they were on the team. Their bigger FA moves came in the form of Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Quinn Cook, DeMarcus Cousins, and the return of the prodigal son, Dwight Howard. For the most part, this is a pretty solid plan B from Rob Pelinka. Well done.

Looking at this roster, it's solid on paper. The only glaring weakness I see on here is the back court. The front court of AD, Dwight, and McGee is stacked as evidenced in the preseason. The way they were dominant in the paint reminded me a lot of the 2008-2012 Lakers when you had Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol roaming the paint. Healthy LeBron on there running the show at point, that's a force to be reckon with. Back to the back court, it's filled with a lot of streaky 3 and D players. Danny Green and Avery Bradley are pests on D. They can score, but they can be wildly inconsistent. KCP, we know a lot about him. When he's hot, he's great. When he's not, he's plain garbage. And then there's Rondo. Also, the health of LeBron and AD are going to be key. Both struggled with the injury bug last season. The only difference we expect LeBron to be refreshed albeit being on the down side of 30 since he had otherwise an injury-free career. AD has a lot more to prove that he has set aside the injury bug that plagued him that has been otherwise a tremendous career to start. And he still has a couple of good prime years left.

The question is whether or not the Lakers can break their playoff drought with this roster? As long as the LeBron-AD duo stays healthy, yes. As long as there's no roster drama, yes. As long as each player understand their role, yes. This team is a playoff contender. And they have a pretty favorable schedule to start. From October-November, they are facing off against four playoff teams in my opinion (Clippers, Utah, San Antonio, and Dallas). In the opener tomorrow against the Clippers, they have an opportunity to get a jump on their little LA brother with Paul George missing in action. However, they're still not to be overlooked at as they retained most of their roster from last year sans Kawhi Leonard and PG13. It's going to be a matter of a team that has a lot of new parts vs. the team that already has components, but added a pair of big time upgrades. It should be an interesting season and definitely all eyes will be on LA all season long. But, the city is still drenched in purple and gold as it has been. GO LAKERS!

Lakers Acquire Anthony Davis (Finally)

The King and The 'Brow

I'm officially bipolar with the Lakers right now. It was teased before the trade deadline, but both sides couldn't come to a deal. But now, it is official (well until July) and as expected, it was making waves in the headlines since it was announced. The Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to a trade to get Anthony Davis in the Purple and Gold in exchange for Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, and 3 first round picks.

LeBron got what he wanted. He wanted Anthony Davis to come over here to LA and contend for a title and he got it. Like I said, the Lakers are just begging me to become bipolar with their moves. I gotta give credit to Rob Pelinka and David Griffin for pulling off this deal with no strings attached. Compared to the midseason, then-Pelicans president Dell Demps tried everything to sabotage the Lakers by getting them to give up the entire team for AD. But, it turns out he was bluffing and it lead to his firing. With David Griffin, whether or not the Cavalier ties with LeBron helped or not, they were able to pull off this deal. We also gotta give credit to another outside source: Rich Paul. He represents both LBJ and AD via Klutch Sports. He failed in pulling the strings during the midseason, but it worked this time around.

I get the excitement because AD is one of the best big men in the game today. He can play inside and outside and is the ideal rim protector and shot blocker that the Lakers were missing since 2013. Now on the flip side, many may argue that the Lakers gave up too much. Which is true. The risk in getting a player on 1-year rental for that much is that player might leave when things go sour on their short tenure with the team. We've seen this first hand with the Dwight Howard experiment from 2012-13. Now granted, AD has verbally expressed to sign the Lakers in the long term, but that may change depending on how the season goes playing alongside LeBron. Not to mention, the Pelicans might've secured their future for the next 5-7 years. I'm not gonna lie, they're going to be an exciting young team with Lonzo, B.I., and possibly Zion Williamson coming to town. They still have Jrue Holiday to provide that veteran presence and they have the Lakers' #4 pick this year. They'll be a team on the come up. The silver lining here is that the Lakers held on to Kyle Kuzma. At least they keep one of the key young players and it's none other than the Lakers' 2017 draft steal that showed major strides with his ability to score. With AD and 'Bron, Kuz is the ideal 3rd option. He could be the fourth option if they make a run at Kemba Walker or get Kyrie Irving to reunite playing alongside LeBron.

Now that the trade is over with, the Lakers now have some major holes to fill. Their back court is literally void of talent. Small forward is also a need now. A scoring point guard like Kemba or Kyrie could shoulder the load off of whoever fills that shooting guard spot. If they manage to land either one, great. They must use up the remaining cap to sign quality role players who can shoot and play defense. If not, they're still solid mid-tier options available like re-signing Rajon Rondo. This might actually entice Rondo to stay considering he had success with AD in New Orleans. Either way, now that the Lakers have their act together (for the moment) and with the West wide open with Golden State in shambles due to KD and Klay's injuries, they must strike while the iron is hot in the offseason in order to get back to the top.