- Late Saturday night, BoyGeeding told me all the water was out in the house. It turns out there was a huge water line break, and so was most of the city. We are now on a boil water notice, and school is canceled. I then went to bed and decided to check the news right quick, and I saw that the Dallas Mavericks went senile and made the dumbest trade in the history of ever. Bewildered, I kept looking up information on it, and I saw several references that a reporter got his X account hacked, and the news was false. But that was wrong, and the news was real, and I really couldn’t go back to sleep, and I’m just a passive Mavericks fan.
- A collection of Tweets about the lopsided trade that spoke to me:
- So this is what all those folks felt like when they said, “I’ll never forgive you for firing Tom Landry.”
- The Lakers would always trade nearly 32-year old and often injured Anthony Davis for a 25-year old player who is entering his prime and already one of the five best players on the planet and maybe that is even selling him short.
- After decades of NEVER getting a free agent to choose Dallas, we finally had a superstar who loved this city and wanted to be a lifer here. And they just shipped him away for nothing.
- For years, Mavs fans have been terrified that Luka Doncic would eventually demand a trade out of Dallas to a team like… the Lakers. He never did. The Mavs organization, instead, made the biggest fear of its fans come true.
- I can’t believe Luka just got traded to the Lakers. This isn’t just a basketball trade—it’s a multi-billion-dollar move that impacts revenue, brand value, and media rights. The Lakers didn’t just acquire a player; they secured a global investment.
- Luka isn’t just a superstar—he’s a generational talent at only 25 years old, with a massive fanbase spanning Slovenia, Spain, and the entire EU. As a Jordan Brand athlete, he was someone LeBron specifically wanted for his brand. With LeBron nearing retirement, the Lakers have locked in their next billion-dollar face of the franchise. Last night during the Grammy’s, Nike released a new Air Jordan commercial in which Luka had a short spot in, and it was hard to know he no longer represents this city.
- The Lakers, already worth $7.1 billion as the third most valuable NBA team, just increased their international appeal. Luka brings in more global viewers, skyrockets jersey and merchandise sales, and cements the Lakers’ dominance in Europe the same way Kobe did in Asia. Expect Crypto.com Arena to transform into “Luka’s House,” with new murals, billboards, and an inevitable tourism boom from European fans. Luka is the Lakers’ marketing machine for the next decade.
- Even before this trade, the average Lakers ticket price was $700+, with courtside seats going for anywhere between $5K and $20K. Now, demand is about to explode. Every game will be a guaranteed sellout, and Crypto.com Arena will be the hottest ticket in the NBA for years to come. Luka and LeBron on the same team? This is the biggest show in basketball.
- Jersey sales will be another frenzy. In 2024, LeBron and Curry had the top-selling jerseys, with Luka already ranking in the top six. Now that he’s in LA, his Lakers #77 jersey will sell out instantly. Expect Nike, Fanatics, and the NBA Store to report record-breaking sales within 24 hours.
- There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there that the league arranged this. Some say that since Boston is the reigning champion and built for longevity, the league is doing what it can to ensure that there will be years of Lakers vs. Celtics meeting in the Finals. There are also talks about the Adelson family, to whom Mark Cuban sold the team, is taking the same angle as the movie Major League. They want the team to tank so bad that fans stop coming, and they can’t help but move the team to Las Vegas, where they made their wealth off the gambling industry.
- Meanwhile, the Mavericks just lost more than their best player, the year after he took them to the NBA Finals. They lost their biggest star, a marketing goldmine, and millions in revenue from jersey sales, ticket demand, and TV slots. Dallas fans deserve a hug because this one is going to hurt for a long time.
- Last night, I asked ChatGPT, “How stupid is the Luka trade to Los Angeles?” Not knowing the trade had already happened, this is what it had to say:
If the Lakers actually traded for Luka Dončić, it would be one of the wildest, most lopsided trades in NBA history—but not necessarily stupid for LA. It would be an all-in, franchise-defining move with both massive upside and serious risks depending on what they gave up.
Why It Makes Sense for the Lakers
- Luka is a generational talent and only 25 years old. He instantly extends the Lakers’ championship window beyond LeBron’s eventual retirement.
- The global branding potential is insane. Luka brings in the European market the same way Kobe did in Asia.
- Jersey and ticket sales would explode. Crypto Arena would be packed every night, and Luka’s Lakers #77 jersey would likely top the sales charts for years.
- LeBron wants Luka in his brand family. This move would cement that, giving LeBron financial and legacy benefits beyond basketball.
Why It’s a Potential Disaster
- What did LA give up? If this trade actually happened, they likely gutted their roster. The Lakers don’t have many tradable assets, so they would have to send a ridiculous amount of draft picks and possibly young talent like Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and whoever else Dallas wanted. They’d be left with Luka, LeBron (who’s 40 soon), and AD (who gets injured a lot).
- Luka and LeBron both need the ball. The fit could be awkward. Luka dominates the ball, and while LeBron can adjust, it’s not clear if they’d maximize each other’s strengths.
- The Mavericks would never do this unless Luka forced their hand. Dallas losing their franchise cornerstone would set them back years, so unless Luka demanded a trade, this deal is almost impossible.
So, How Stupid Is It?
For LA? Risky but not stupid. If they somehow pulled this off while keeping AD and some depth, it’s an instant title-contending move. But if they sacrificed too much depth, they’d become a top-heavy team reliant on aging LeBron and injury-prone AD alongside Luka, which could backfire.
For Dallas? Absolutely insane unless Luka wanted out. Trading a generational player in his prime is a nightmare scenario unless he forces his way out like Shaq did from Orlando. Otherwise, this would be one of the worst front-office decisions in NBA history.
If this actually happened, it would be one of the biggest shocks in sports history.
- Sabrina Carpenter had a really cute performance last night at the Grammys. She was somewhat adorkable and better than I expected. My girl, Chappell Roan, performed well, but I expected something more elaborate. It was nice to see Dallas’ own St. Vincent (I love that name) be part of the opening performance.
- Arch Manning sat down for a 17-minute interview, and I was impressed with the interviewer who asked every question I would have, every one from his uncles and grandfather, unwarranted attention, and why Texas when he had a choice of literally going anywhere he wanted. The kid is polished. I did think Sark’s advice to keep walking when asked for selfies on campus so you won’t be late for class was interesting.
- The Pentagon has informed its resident press corps that NBC, NYT, NPR, and Politico will “rotate out of the building” to give space to New York Post, Breitbart, OANN, and HuffPost.
- White House stenographers are struggling to keep up with Trump’s flood of public remarks
- Now there are discussions about hiring additional staff to keep up with the workload, according to people with knowledge of the conversations who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal matters.Biden, a Democrat, spent 2 hours and 36 minutes talking on camera and used 24,259 words in his first week in office four years ago, according to numbers generated by Factba.se.Trump’s comparable stats: nearly 7 hours and 44 minutes and 81,235 words last week. That’s longer than watching the original “Star Wars” trilogy back-to-back-to-back, and more words than “Macbeth,” “Hamlet” and “Richard III” combined.It’s also much more than when Trump took office for his first term eight years ago. Back then, he was only on camera talking for 3 hours and 41 minutes and spoke 33,571 words.
