This is evidence the Luka trade was pressured by higher ups

11 comments

1. Anything suggesting Nico didn’t have a hand in trading Luka is pure cope. I’d rather have been fired than risk my fairly positive reputation as a GM up till that trade deadline. Don’t forget he also traded Grimes for scraps, knowing he wanted to trade Luka and deplete the guard depth.

2. The video was about Luka leaving in FA

   If anything I bet Nico saw it and that’s why he kept sayin Luka wasnt gonna sign the extension

3. I will always be of the opinion that it was at least 75% on DuPont or whatever his fkn name.

   No matter how much this sub bitches about Nico, Up until the Luka trade i was very impressed by him. One of the best in the business. He did deals that turned out great and swiftly restructured when things didnt turn out so well. I always saw the vision of his and his deals were designed to build around Luka. Our team had bad ass chemistry and was so fun to see how they rooted for each other. That was a team constructed by him!! Now its so cool to pile on him, pretending he always was the worst. Bs.

   And that is why i believe Nico was not the main culprit behind this trade. Obviously i would like to spit in his face, If id Cross paths with him, but still the Most blame is on that fkn moron at the very topm

4. Honest question: If a new owner told you (the GM) that Luka was not getting the Super Max, what would you do?

   I think trading Luka is the best case. The trade Nico got was not the best by far. But I understand why he was traded.

5. Maybe. It could easily enough be chalked up to a case of every super star in the league is always speculated to be going to the Lakers. But add that to the Lakers getting sold for a record price after the trade and the Mavs getting a lot less than they could have for Luka and then miraculously getting the 1st overall pick in the draft despite a 98.2% chance they wouldn’t and it adds to the fishiness of it all

6. It was Nico and Patrick which is what Stein just reported and what was said right after the trade. There isn’t some conspiracy. Nico didn’t like Luka personally (that’s very clear) and used his embarrassing Game 3 Finals performance and complete disregard of the Mavs nutrition program as reasons to convince Patrick to not pay Luka $75M per year because Luka wasn’t going to ever be good enough defensively and would physically get worse.

   It’s really that simple. Nico has managed to win Clown GM of the 21st Century to date.

   Now, we have Flagg to watch tonight and I’m very excited to see the kid play and develop.

   Good for Luka to finally come in shape and make Nico look even more foolish. Next topic.

7. The easiest answer is Nico wanted Anthony Davis on his roster

8. I’ve always felt it was about his extension

9. This guy is so clueless and leaves out important context. Said we tanked in 2023, but we only tanked 2 games after no longer controlling our fate and our season essentially being over anyways. At that point it was just how high of a pick we could get.

   He also said Jaden Hardy and OMAX were smart draft picks, doesn’t know that Dennis Lindsey was behind most of our best moves and Nico wanted Kuzma, Grant, and McGee, and his only suggestion is Luka might leave Dallas of his own will to come to LA cause it fits his personality when Luka clearly wanted to stay.

   The guy was right for all the wrong reasons so he should be ignored and it absolutely does not prove the trade came from higher ups. Someone with that kind of knowledge wouldn’t be this wrong about everything. Nico just got fleeced, because he was stupid enough to believe a rival team’s GM was his friend and not someone who would play him for his already stupid basketball opinions. Ultimately, Nico is too dumb to deserve Luka and unfortunately we as fans have to suffer for that.

10. I hate the sentiment that this was orchestrated by the league/Silver.

    Like what is in it for Nico? Dude is, without a doubt, *never* working in the NBA again once his contract expires/he’s fired. I know the man is probably set for life financially speaking, but the trade was career suicide. Not even just within the realm of basketball, what company in sports would want the man’s name associated with their company?

    There’s also just plenty of evidence that Nico simply wanted AD. This is from [2012](https://youtube.com/shorts/fJkH32Hd05g?si=3cplg7lr7u7U2rR8) with AD, Nico and Kobe. Nico obviously really likes AD and has liked him for well over 10 years now.

    Nico just wanted AD on this team, not Luka. It was/is a bad trade. It’s that simple.

11. The guys in here that actually don’t think the trade was orchestrated by the NBA to save ratings and build around a new face of the league in LA are absolutely fucking mental. Clear as day. Then we just so happen to land the #1 pick after. Just look at teams who have traded their superstar to LA in the past. Almost all of them get the #1 pick. Stop being stupid and realize there’s some real fuckery going on in the NBA and there has been for decades.