WHY IS LUKA IN LOS ANGELES? NBA OWNERS ARE SICK OF THE SUPERSTAR DRAMA
Too many years of trade demands, blown-off games and contract hassles have hurt the sport, with Dallas deciding a $345 million supermax was a strain while worried about Doncic’s diet and conditioning
Luka wants to dominate the ball. LeBron wants to dominate the ball. Maybe the ball shrieks and collapses and flees Los Angeles with the wildfire mourners, but already, a legend says he’ll help the 25-year-old with the jelly belly and planetary flair.
What else would LeBron James do? He’s 40. He has a season or two to win another NBA championship. He has at least a half-year collaborator in Luka Doncic, who reigns as the premier offensive basketball player when he’s right and not winded. They might thrive. They might clash. They’ll eventually break up and leave Doncic as the reigning Lakers legend for a decade or more.
For now, LeBron is OK with the trade until free agency strikes this summer. Doncic is sending bittersweet vibes, if in a shock mode, when he tells heartbroken Dallas fans, “I thought I’d spend my career here, and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship. The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of.” His father loathes the Mavericks — which might be Luka’s mode.
“Luka absolutely did not deserve this. He sacrificed a lot,” Sasa Doncic said Sunday on Slovenian television. “He really respected Dallas. Luka respected the whole city.”
And the Mavs? Anthony Davis should play well with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson beyond James’ hassling — until, sadly, he is injured again. The biggest midseason trade (ever) might result in two teams losing quickly in the playoffs. Until then, there is hope. That’s the NBA in 2025.
This is not a freak moment in trading history. It’s bigger than a crazy blip. It’s not what Lakers boss Rob Pelinka says it will be: “Sports are about transformative moments. We are inspired by these moments Lakers fans know, expect and love with a franchise that continually ushers in new eras of greatness. ... Luka is a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar who will lead this franchise for years to come. His killer instincts and commitment to winning championships will be a driving force for the team.”
No, this is a massive roll call for 30 owners of NBA franchises. They have the riches, remember. And there was no interest in watching Doncic crush the Mavs for the NBA’s biggest-ever contract in coming months, just as there is no interest in watching Jimmy Butler sabotage the Miami Heat or Joel Embiid blow off too many games in Philadelphia or Kevin Durant kill loyalty in scrambling across America. Pro basketball has been occupied for too long by the egos and financial arrogance of superstars, and starting next season, $76 billion from broadcast networks veers directly to the possessors.
So, why not take back the league? Why let players control the drama with sophomoric behavior and demands? If TV ratings are down, is it because stars complain and expect bosses to shut up? Why not trade Doncic before he creates a see-saw mess? If he can’t watch his diet and remain in shape, why deal with him? Why not ship him to southern California in the dead of Saturday night, before the Super Bowl?
He hasn’t won a championship and might never transform his glittering resume — All-NBA first team for five straight seasons — unless he grows up and graps the meaning of commitment in America. He was traded by general manager Nico Harrison, who wants to build a title based on culture and didn’t view Doncic as fitting it despite career averages of 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game. He eats too much and drinks too much. That can’t be done in Hollywood, where fans have watched Kobe Bryant and LeBron and all the greats maximize their talents.
He will take his playmaking and gamebreaking to the Lakers, who have an assurance from James. What, LeBron is going to mope after the front office took care of his son, Bronny, and suddenly will boycott Jeanie Buss and Pelinka? Instead, he will try to rally in his 22nd season and attempt to muscle up Doncic. He’ll keep trying and knows eyeballs are on him. Davis realizes this is a business deal and did win one championship in 2020.
More important were the words of Harrison, who explained why he gold-shaded the Lakers with their mystique. Never mind if the Mavs, who lost 144-101 in Cleveland on a bizarre Sunday, suddenly might fade into the Western Conference haze. He knew Doncic would threaten to leave Dallas if he didn’t receive the contract he wanted, not even the five-year, $345 million supermax that was available. Harrison didn’t want to play the game. He traded him.
“There's some unique things about his contract that we had to pay attention to,” Harrison said. “There's other teams that were loading up that he was going to be able to decide, make his own decision at some point of whether he wants to be here or not. Whether we want to supermax him or not, or whether he wants to opt out. So, I think we had to take all that into consideration, and I feel like we got out in front of what could have been a tumultuous summer.”
Franchises are tired of being pushed around by players. A month doesn’t pass without another major force, such as Butler and De’Aaron Fox, demanding a trade. The movement swirl has become a bigger part of the NBA than the games, including the playoffs. Heaven help Durant, who mused about the league’s direction after fleeing Oklahoma City for Golden State, Brooklyn and Phoenix. He wants the league to care about players. Why don’t players care about the league?
“This was insane. Insane,” Durant said. “It’s crazy. Crazy. Damn, would have never thought Luka Doncic would get traded. At his age, midseason, the NBA is a wild place, man. If he can get traded, then anybody is up for grabs. Players are held to a different standard of loyalty and commitment to a program, but the organizations don't get held to that same standard from the outside world, whether it's from the media members or fans,” he said. “We all should be held to that same standard. (Now), every other team might get the confidence to say ‘F— it’ I’ll trade a few of my top players if this isn’t working. I’m still shocked.”
If teams bail out, let them. Shut up and pack your bags.
“The Mavs obviously had to make a decision this summer whether to give him five years, $350 million. That’s a lot of money to give a guy you don’t think can stay in shape and is always going to be hurt,” Charles Barkley said on TV. “He’s a great player. But they must know something we don’t know.”
“Unprecedented, right?” Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse said. “That those kind of players are moving — you know, surprising, for sure, but I think there’s been a lot of stars moving in the recent years that we’ve all been surprised by and all that kind of stuff.”
For now, people want to watch Luka and LeBron and fall in Love. The Lakers have rediscovered their charisma when no one thought they had a future. Months ago, JJ Redick was yelling at Stephen A. Smith and doing a podcast with James. Now, he must orchestrate rhythm and hope that Austin Reaves becomes a major contributor without Davis in the middle. “We will be relentless in building a roster around the on-court vision Coach Redick has for this basketball team and there is an unwavering commitment to that work to serve our loyal and dedicated fans,” Pelinka said. “We are grateful for today and look forward to what’s next.”
Said Kenny Atkinson, who coaches the league’s best team in Cleveland: “I just love seeing great players. I love seeing great players play together. I mean, for the fan, it’s fascinating. It’s interesting, positive thing for the league. It’s what makes it a great league that great players can team up.”
But a cloud hangs above a league where too many superstars aren’t happy. James might want to sign in Cleveland for a third time, if the Cavaliers want him, or might remain in LA with a $52.6 million player option. Doncic still must sign a long-term deal in Los Angeles. Butler? What’s happening? The week will be nuts.
Finally, the owners are taking charge. If a great player is happy and performing at his best, awesome. If not? “It’s crazy, man,” Phoenix’s Devin Booker said. “Luka being a guy that everybody claims is untouchable and untradeable. The NBA shows you again. Can’t predict. It’s a business. They’re always having a conversation about you. So don’t think you’re safer than you are.”
If Luka Doncic isn’t safe, no one is. “I understand the magnitude of it,” Harrison said. “The easiest thing for me to do is do nothing and everyone would praise me for doing nothing. But we really believe in it and time will tell if I’m right.”
Once, Mark Cuban was asked about trading Doncic. “If I had to choose between my wife and keeping Luka on the Mavs,” he said, “catch me at my lawyer’s office prepping for a divorce.” He no longer governs the team or makes basketball decisions. When Harrison asked about the deal, new owner Patrick Dumont laughed.
Then he killed Luka.
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Jay Mariotti, called “without question the most impacting Chicago sportswriter of the past quarter-century,’’ writes general sports columns for Substack while appearing on some of the 1,678,498 podcasts and shows in production today. He is an accomplished columnist, TV panelist and talk/podcast host. Living in Los Angeles, he gravitated by osmosis to film projects.