2024-25 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

For what it’s worth, all I’ve ever heard is that Luka loves Dallas and they certainly love him. Dallas is a great city plus no state taxes on top of being able to offer more cash.

Then there’s Cuban openly hating us.

And then there’s LeBron being the only star free agent who we lured here. And that was because of Magic.

I don’t see it at all but I suppose there’s always a chance.

 

280 lb PG could be fun.

for about 30 games a year.

Zion Doncic?

 

most likely scenario is forced trade, how all prime superstar moves are made at this point.

i'm definitely tired of daily podcast attacks on things that couldn't have happened and hindsighted laments on cam reddish's player option as if it's changed course of western civilization. the offseason is indeed long.

i don't think it's a big deal. i just don't think it's impossible. i also think luka's more like harden or jokic than he is like shaq. shaq was mostly unskilled and a big part of his impact was the violent mobility and speed combined with size. zion is like shaq.

 

Luka now, huh? LOL.

LBJ had planned out his path out here for a long time, IMO. We saw the breadcrumbs for several years. He was meticulous with planning and had goals out here that he wanted to achieve; it probably didn't help that he liked it.

As for Luka, I suppose there is a chance, but I don't see it. If we had the two Jerrys and we could rewind CA back to a time when taxes were different, the landscape was different, I would say, "sure"....

Let Sacramento fail for a couple of years and go after De'Aaron Fox in a couple of years. While he isn't the talent Luka is, I think you can come up with a path there...

 

Luka turning down 5 years at 346M next summer? I don't believe that for 1 second, and Lebron retiring doesn't give us 50M in cap space to sign another player. With AD at 70M plus moving forward, I can't see anyway possible that we could land Luka. Unless we traded AD for him, then what would be the point?

 

I'm sure many fans would take Luka over AD any day, especially considering his age. With that being said, chances are slim at best if obtaining him.

 

The idea is to pair him with AD, not replace AD with him. I'm just saying, that we don't have the contracts to match.

 

luka, imo, is a post-AD pickup. two years from now at absolute earliest. imagine dallas is capped out and kyrie ages out or wilds out again (as he has pretty much everywhere). they're rudderless, luka has signed his extension, and he still has no rings. he'll ask out. we need to be on the short list, armed with all of our picks and hopefully with reaves and/or knecht or some other young player we hit on or develop (max?). AD might be moved (if he wishes) in the interim for pieces that could be used here, too.

again, not saying it's likely, just saying a) this is the sort of thing we try to do and b) it's probably as good or better than just bottoming out and hoping to draft a generational talent.

 

Yeah but no AD, no draft picks, no young talent, we'd still suck with Luka.

 

i disagree. luka and not much can win, and i don't see him as a coattail rider/joiner anyway.

again, maybe i'm wrong, but if there's a star who would walk to a place without another star in place, it's him, imo.

 

Yeah. Luka has a PO for 2026-2027 and is currently scheduled to be a UFA in 2027-2028. The absolute soonest he could be available to us (which is only happening if he makes clear he only wants to sign with us) is pre-trade deadline during the 2025-2026 season. So lets say February 2026. AD would be 32, about to turn 33. Good chance he'll still be a Top 15 player in the league, but I'm not sure that's a big draw for Luka. I think it would be the same idea as it was with LeBron; clear the slate, get the #1 guy in the building ideally without expending capital, and then use draft/player capital to acquire the #2 guy. Getting Luka without expending capital would mean waiting until at least the summer of 2026 though.

If this really is the path the FO wants to follow (hold onto our draft capital at the expense of the current team), I'm fine with it. But I do think that means LeBron moves on, maybe as soon this next trade deadline. And if LeBron is gone, it doesn't really make sense to hold onto AD. I keep looking at the Cavs' roster and thinking a LeBron (and maybe even AD, although the matching salary gets extremely tough) for Mobley and/or Garland could make sense for everyone in February. Cavs bring him back for the end of his career, LeBron gets another title shot in the weaker conference, we get a young player that doesn't quite fit with Mitchell and the Cavs' other pieces that could also be a draw for our next star.

 

MVP award for the 2024/25 season prediction by ESPN

1. Shay Gilgeous Alexander Oklahoma , 7 votes

2. Luka Dončić Dallas, 5

3. Anthony Edwards Minnesota 2

4. Nikola Jokic Denver 2

5. Jason Tatum 2

So they tired already of Embid and Jokic
And Shai will never going to win MVP
Nobody cares about him outside of Canada and OKC

 

.....and the Clippers

 

lots of folks in the press seem to dislike luka. i think okc has a great shot at the best record in the league, and SGA will be clearly their best player. he'd be my likely mvp if i were forced to gamble on it. and or tatum after that (undeserving, but same reasons he's been close before--great record, best player on team). folks are tired of voting for jokic, imo.

 

Okay, let’s just see what effect it has in his upcoming season. I bet his team will still be in the hunt to represent the West in the Finals come playoffs.
Not everyone can be expected to have a maniacle dedication to his body all year round. Not every player has this mindset like LeBron does. If it becomes a problem, like it has been for Zion, even before he played his first NBA game, then sure, pile on the guy for “enjoying” his offseason.
So far for Luka, the guy has managed MVP worthy seasons, even with his off-season habits.
We can easily call out Joker too and that dude will also be in MVP consideration this upcoming season.

 

Jokic can't guard his shadow either. It's a realistic concern about the conditioning, long term though. Those two guys will be making north of 80M per in 5 years. Will they be worth it by then? Right now the League favors offensive players, will it still be that way, 5 years from now? If those guys don't take care of thier bodies, they could both, easily fall off the cliff in a hurry.

I think going out as a GOAT is Luka's dream, not as sure about Jokic, he's already said, that he views the NBA as his job.

 

And all of them love Jokic
Nikola Jokic – NBA's best basketball player based on a survey of coaches, scouts and managers from ESPN
ESPN interviewed 18 coaches ,scouts and managers about the next NBA season.

Nicola Jokic called the league the best player with 15 votes. The second was the Luka Dončić 2 votes ,Third – Minnesota 's Anthony Edwards

 

luka and jokic are both better defenders than people think simply due to size and hoop iq. notice that neither ever gets played off the floor. i can't even remember that many times that either guy was taken out for single defensive possessions unless to protect them from fouls. iirc, a couple teams tried to iso luka early in the playoffs with very little success. it wasn't until his leg injury got worse that anyone really could exploit him that badly. both guys are better than harden ever was on that end--and harden's teams generally found ways to be good on defense by working to his strengths (individual post defense, quick and strong hands).

 

mvp fatigue was my point. plus i don't think denver finishes with the generally-required top-2 record in the conference.

then again, voters keep picking rudy gobert as dpoy, so maybe nothing gets tired!

 

It's extremely hard to play them off the floor, because their team's offense revolves around them. Same thing with Lebron.

Rudy must be a great interview, the media does seem to like him.