Luka Dealt to Lakers: Nico Harrison is a Basketball Terrorist

[Knutsen]

Objectively, the Mavs alternative path had no chance of looking like that at all. 

Grimes was not a 27 ppg player if the Mavs had kept him. Not a chance in the world. 

I‘m not sure about that one - who knows how he could have performed on the Mavs without Luka and without Kyrie?

It’s not just inflated scoring, he‘s shooting good percentages (except free throws), he‘s averaging 5 assists and 5 rebounds and a lot of steals as well. 

Let’s think he scores only 20 points with 5 and 5 on our team, there’s still a great sign-and-trade deal to be had. That’s maximizing assets, but we were thinking we‘d compete for a title this year…

[cow]

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_...raded-mavs

[FireNicoHarrison]

I‘m not sure about that one - who knows how we could have performed on the Mavs without Luka and without Kyrie?

It’s not just inflated scoring, he‘s shooting good percentages (except free throws), he‘s averaging 5 assists and 5 rebounds and a lot of steals as well. 

Let’s think he scores only 20 points with 5 and 5 on our team, there’s still a great sign-and-trade deal to be had. That’s maximizing assets, but we were thinking we‘d compete for a title this year…

I don't know what kind of stats Grimes would have here after Luka trade though i prefer him over Dinwiddie for sure.

[FireNicoHarrison]

The most strange thing about those news Mavs Is the defense, we lost 2 bad defender and add a players supposed to be a system alone but numbers are tragic...

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/1909177063052853410

[Knutsen]

The most strange thing about those news Mavs Is the defense, we lost 2 bad defender and add a players supposed to be a system alone but numbers are tragic...

https://x.com/iztok_franko/status/1909177063052853410

One possible reason could be that Luka puts so much stress on a defense with his cerebral offensive game that the opponent loses a little bit of focus on offense, because defense is hard and takes its toll. Maybe the opposition even takes some wild shots on their own because Luka is making crazy step back threes and you think you have to keep pace.

[Chicagojk]

Defense will take a while to figure it out. I wouldn't put much in this end of the season run. I will say two things though:1) Dinwiddie is just awful on D. It still floors me he has Kidd's trust on defense. 2) if AD wants to play PF he will need to show he can guard the Leonard's and Tatums of the world.

I think the key is going to be three point defense. If the Mavs can't limit good three point looks the two big look will be DOA. It will mean that AD will need to guard a lot on the wing imo. Lively too, but AD is the one who wanted to play PF.

Personally I would be fine sacraficing some of our so called perimeter defending players for shooters and/or creators this offseason though.

[Chicagojk]

They've dug into the Luka situation ad nauseam, but what the hell happened with Grimes?  Guy is averaging like 27 ppg since the trade.  Even if you might lose him this summer, he is a RFA.  You leverage that status to get more back than Martin and giving up a second.  To me, that's the cherry on top of this terrible GMing thing.

I have no problem with a team thinking Martin is the better win now option for some teams.  The issue was he was much more hurt than they thought.    That is a big blunder.

More importantly, I have no idea how a competant GM could look at this team and think they had enough shooting and ball creation to be a contender.  That makes absolutely no sense.   I think for sure they needed a good wing defender, but the lack of shooting and creation is just so obvious.  I can't believe they thought this team healthy had enough of either.

[Knutsen]

ESPN put together a trade package of each and every team in the league for Doncic.

I think I like the Thunder package the most - crazy to see how many assets they still have in their bag.

What do you like best of those 28 options?

https://www.espn.com/nba/insider/story/_...raded-mavs

[F Gump]

I‘m not sure about that one - who knows how he could have performed on the Mavs without Luka and without Kyrie?

Yeah, hindsight is 20-20. But at the time of the trade, the realistic view at that point was that if they kept him, Grimes was going to play very limited minutes - that's what we would have seen.

When they chose to trade him, Kyrie was quite healthy and the starting PG, with Klay set as the starting SG. PJ was sliding to the 3 as the starter. Exum was about to be back and playing backup minutes at guard (with SD behind him). Christie had just been added as a wing, and Marshall was still going to get a regular chunk of minutes. There was very very little left for Grimes or Hardy to split.

In addition, the mythical SNT you keep imagining means that you have to take back SALARY to match Grimes salary -- which, again, was more salary than they could afford to put on their payroll! If the Mavs couldn't afford to pay Grimes 14M (and they couldn't, it just doesn't work), then they couldn't afford to pay the SNT player 14M either. Every team in the league understands those dynamics, and if Grimes was getting paid much more than 9M, they all knew they could get him away by signing him to an offer sheet  that the Mavs simply wouldn't be able to match. We still may see that play out the same way with Philly, as he's potentially worth more to a going-nowhere team with lots of minutes and shots to offer (just like Philly was this season).

[Moviemavguy]

Ok but you're just admitting that it's Kidd limiting Grimes to tank his value. That's a coaching/FO problem and not a Grimes one.

All things keep going back to the same issue with this team...

[F Gump]

Ok but you're just admitting that it's Kidd limiting Grimes to tank his value.  That's a coaching/FO problem and not a Grimes one. 

All things keep going back to the same issue with this team...

That's not what I said at all. You're free to disagree with my opinion, but not to twist it into something else.

I have said multiple times that I don't think Grimes is as good or valuable as he appears to look in the context he's in. For a good team (like the Mavs were when healthy), he's probably a C level player in their rotation, more or less how Kidd used him, because his defense is not reliable.

Playing on a BAD team, where he can get all the shots and minutes he wants, sure he's going to look very different. A Philly team desperate to lose games so they can land in the top 6 picks and keep their 1st rounder was tailor made for someone like that. But on a good team, a C-level player has to rein in their shooting a lot and contribute reliably in other ways, or they don't play, because that good team is going to want to feed their main players.

Using him in a way suitable to his place on the team is not an attempt to "tank his value" but rather what a good coach has to do to try to max out his team's chances to be elite. The Mavs' priority this season was winning, not polishing up Grimes numbers.

That's my view of Grimes, and I've shared it before.

[SleepingHero]

TAKE THIS WITH A GIGANTIC GRAIN OF SALT!


I read this on a Reddit post from an anonymous dude. So no legit sources and you shouldn’t necessarily believe this…. And yet, reading this in how the Mavs FO is operating, it makes sense:

“They will say anything at this point. I know a couple of people with connections in the season ticket sales office and had lunch with one of them a couple days ago. Let's just say, sales aren't going well. Even the normal scalpers are backing off because, shocking I know, AD isn't as much of a draw as Luka and costs for the lower bowl seats are like 20 percent more next year.
The Mavs ownership is in full panic mode because their short term corporate sponsors are looking at them as a toxic brand. Rumor around the office is that Nico came off so poorly, they have instructed him not to say anything, lest he piss off the remaining fanbase more.
Basically, everytime they do anything, it just angers the fans more. The solution seems obvious, fire Nico, have Dumont disappear into the background and start a campaign of healing with the base. Unfortunately, they are still in the mindset that this was the right move. They are trying to speak into existence a championship for the Mavs, because they don't want to admit they are wrong and they believe that a championship will make fans forget about the mistreatment.”

[FireNicoHarrison]

There is no plan B, Harrison& Dumont have to go.

0 chances to win a championship after that kind of move, Karma spoken.

Thank you for waste next 5 Mavs years Nico Harrison, your work here is done.
Take the Lakers/Pelinka baggage and run out of the state, i just hope noboby will never offer you a job.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

That's not what I said at all. You're free to disagree with my opinion, but not to twist it into something else.

I have said multiple times that I don't think Grimes is as good or valuable as he appears to look in the context he's in. For a good team (like the Mavs were when healthy), he's probably a C level player in their rotation, more or less how Kidd used him, because his defense is not reliable.

Playing on a BAD team, where he can get all the shots and minutes he wants, sure he's going to look very different. A Philly team desperate to lose games so they can land in the top 6 picks and keep their 1st rounder was tailor made for someone like that. But on a good team, a C-level player has to rein in their shooting a lot and contribute reliably in other ways, or they don't play, because that good team is going to want to feed their main players.

Using him in a way suitable to his place on the team is not an attempt to "tank his value" but rather what a good coach has to do to try to max out his team's chances to be elite. The Mavs' priority this season was winning, not polishing up Grimes numbers.

That's my view of Grimes, and I've shared it before.

I totally agree with this assessment. Grimes wouldn't have had the same impact if he stayed here. He's just taking advantage of an opportunity since Philly's big guns are out with injuries.

[omahen]

TAKE THIS WITH A GIGANTIC GRAIN OF SALT!


I read this on a Reddit post from an anonymous dude. So no legit sources and you shouldn’t necessarily believe this…. And yet, reading this in how the Mavs FO is operating, it makes sense:

“They will say anything at this point. I know a couple of people with connections in the season ticket sales office and had lunch with one of them a couple days ago. Let's just say, sales aren't going well. Even the normal scalpers are backing off because, shocking I know, AD isn't as much of a draw as Luka and costs for the lower bowl seats are like 20 percent more next year.
The Mavs ownership is in full panic mode because their short term corporate sponsors are looking at them as a toxic brand. Rumor around the office is that Nico came off so poorly, they have instructed him not to say anything, lest he piss off the remaining fanbase more.
Basically, everytime they do anything, it just angers the fans more. The solution seems obvious, fire Nico, have Dumont disappear into the background and start a campaign of healing with the base. Unfortunately, they are still in the mindset that this was the right move. They are trying to speak into existence a championship for the Mavs, because they don't want to admit they are wrong and they believe that a championship will make fans forget about the mistreatment.”

I think the first part (up to ownership in panic) is totally realistic, whether the source is legit or not. From then on, it gets more interesting.

A good FO/owner would have to predict the backlash. I think it was obvious to happen. No one reasonable could think that Davis would just replace income generated by Luka. Injuries and lack of results made things worse. Probably they didn't think Davis would miss 18 games and obviously couldn't predict the Irving injury, which made things worse. Still, a good FO would absorb the backlash and continue with the plan.

A bad FO/owner would be surprised by the backlash. I can buy that Nico was so blinded by his irrational feelings towards Luka (I think this irrational feelings were the main driver for the trade) that he was actually surprised vast majority of fans didn't share his feelings. Dumont is the guy that should provide a more rational view. This kind of decision is on owner, you can't just leave it to a "hired hand". 

It is obvious that the plan was to win now with Irving, AD and probably another move or two in the summer. I wonder if Irving injury changes that. Their window is short and I am not sure they can afford to wait for him. They would really become extremely hated franchise if they let him go. But then again, can it really get worse for them? Their only chance to start winning back the fanbase is to win quick. So if Irving needs most of next season to come back and perhaps never looks the same again, will they really be willing to wait for him?

[david75090]

Personally, I think they have to get a play-now PG, ASAP, due to Kyrie's injury and age. Don't see that player in this draft, or not where they'll draft, nor do I see that player available in trade. Time to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Don't see it happening.

[FireNicoHarrison]

I totally agree with this assessment. Grimes wouldn't have had the same impact if he stayed here. He's just taking advantage of an opportunity since Philly's big guns are out with injuries.

With Kyrie out and a backcourt dominated from Dinwiddie&Hardy i think Grimes would have plus or less same possessions and shoots like in Philly... it wouldn't have changed much for our season obviously.

[F Gump]

SH It's VERY unlikely that anyone knows what ownership is actually thinking, and perhaps not even ownership itself. (I'm speaking of the owners, NOT stupid Nico who is in so far over his head and is utterly clueless.)

As for owners figuring out where to go from here, it's been crystal clear that Nico had no clue whatsoever in what to do (he did an incredibly wrong move, in an incredibly bad way, and most of all with a display of a complete lack of player evaluation or negotiation skills). But he also showed no clue in how to manage the mess, and has done MASSIVE harm to their brand and its value. Their objectively wisest move would be to replace the dolt with a real GM who is an expert. Give me a large dose of Presti, or Lindsey.

But it's hard to know whether they instead are willing to double down on "Nico's Plan" by retaining him, supporting him, letting him have the keys, and proclaim that all is well, or whether they realize that the path to rebuilding what he destroyed starts with firing him. They could be playing those cards very close to their vest, and might even be steaming inside while putting on a brave face and trying to portray a united front. The off-season will give us a referendum on the OWNERSHIP's ability to manage a crisis, and foster brand loyalty that is so vital to having a strong fanbase.

OMAHEN I agree that Kyrie's injury and a proper analysis of it should be a key piece of the puzzle for them going forward. But I don't agree that impatience would be a virtue under any circumstance. Obviously if he is injured to the extent that he will never recover, that should have them cutting ties and moving on. But if they have a HIGH likelihood he will be back to 100% in a normal timeframe for such an injury, there is no scenario in which they could let go of Kyrie and casually replace him with a healthy clone, and no way to even try to make that happen. In fact, I strongly believe it would be yet another "own goal" of a blunder.

HOWEVER, I am very skeptical as to whether Nico has the GM chops to properly navigate such questions, and he needs to be replaced with an expert decision maker before we get to that crossroads. The decision-making gets very jinky if Nico has his own agenda going, to try to validate his own ugly brand as a priority in the process.

One thing no one is saying, but should be noted. It's also possible that Kyrie takes everything in a way different direction. He has choices not being mentioned. First, he could simply opt in, and defer any contract decision to next year. Or, he could opt out and offer a team-friendly discount for this one season to accommodate payroll and nod to his lack of availability, with a PO in a year, which gives him a no-trade and acknowledges his limited ability to contribute. He might even use any leverage he has to weigh in on the GM situation, who knows. We might get a really good idea of who Kyrie wants to be, and where that takes the Mavs, well before he's healthy.

[F Gump]

Personally, I think they have to get a play-now PG, ASAP, due to Kyrie's injury and age. Don't see that player in this draft, or not where they'll draft, nor do I see that player available in trade. Time to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Don't see it happening.

The best answer I've seen mentioned - and one that has a huge number of issues that would come with it -- is the Powell/Hardy for Lonzo swap. There simply aren't good options out there waiting to be grabbed. And gthe Mavs don't have the right guy to figure out how to do something like that in a Mavs-advantaged way, either, which is a really bad place to be.

[Chicagojk]

I think the first part (up to ownership in panic) is totally realistic, whether the source is legit or not. From then on, it gets more interesting.

A good FO/owner would have to predict the backlash. I think it was obvious to happen. No one reasonable could think that Davis would just replace income generated by Luka. Injuries and lack of results made things worse. Probably they didn't think Davis would miss 18 games and obviously couldn't predict the Irving injury, which made things worse. Still, a good FO would absorb the backlash and continue with the plan.

A bad FO/owner would be surprised by the backlash. I can buy that Nico was so blinded by his irrational feelings towards Luka (I think this irrational feelings were the main driver for the trade) that he was actually surprised vast majority of fans didn't share his feelings. Dumont is the guy that should provide a more rational view. This kind of decision is on owner, you can't just leave it to a "hired hand". 

It is obvious that the plan was to win now with Irving, AD and probably another move or two in the summer. I wonder if Irving injury changes that. Their window is short and I am not sure they can afford to wait for him. They would really become extremely hated franchise if they let him go. But then again, can it really get worse for them? Their only chance to start winning back the fanbase is to win quick. So if Irving needs most of next season to come back and perhaps never looks the same again, will they really be willing to wait for him?

It is amateur hour.   I am sure Nico was not fond of Luka.  Although, I still don't think we know the full story.  It wouldn't suprise me to find out Dumont told Nico they are not going to offer Luka the supermax or even to trade him.    Maybe because that is what I heard a few weeks ago from someone supposedly connected.   Nico thinking that he really liked the pieces of the current team and thinking he was under the gun to make a move now, looked for a win now piece instead of breaking down the team.  Who knows.   BTW, the guy I heard from this also told me Cuban was in deep financial trouble and the league sort of forced his hand.  Again, this is hearsay.

All I know about Billionaiares is no matter how much money they have, if you mess with their money there is hell to pay.  I think it is pretty clear Nico has messed with their money.   How much?  Time will tell.