Trade: [DAL/LAL/UTAH] Luka Doncic is a Laker, Anthony Davis is a Maverick and many other pieces

[John Price]

 

[Stylizer1]

You can't point to only Jordan and say players aren't being paid more. Jordan was a huge outlier.

The vet league minimum in 1997 was $272k. In today's dollars with inflation, that's about $520k. The current veteran minimum is about $2 million.

Players today certainly are much much much richer thanks to revenues exposing well beyond inflation rates.

I said this in my post.

 

[Power Man]

Owners don't seem to give a f*** about the Mavs so long as they eventually get a casino built next to a new arena.

I have a feeling the Mavs are Vegas bound.

Interstellar conspiracy theory video on those owners :

 

[Troy McClure]

I said this in my post.

But even your point about the star players was way way off. In 1997, Jordan was making $33 million, but no one else even came close. Star players today are far wealthier than they were back then.

 

[Voight]

Dončić was supposed to get a statue out there near Dirk Nowitzki’s. How’s this for perspective on where this trade leaves him on the Mavs’ all-time leaderboards?

• Games played: 161 from passing Shawn Bradley for 10th place
• Minutes: 929 behind Sam Perkins, who is ninth in team history
• Points: 300 from tying Michael Finley for fifth
• Assists: 1,035 behind second-place Brad Davis

Essentially the only time the Lakers haven't had a star was the five years between Magics retirement (not counting his short lived comeback; that was essentially a favor to Buss) and Shaq signing with them, and the two years between Kobe retiring and signing Bron.

• 1960: The Lakers moved to Los Angeles with established star Elgin Baylor and new rookie Jerry West.
•1968: Traded for Wilt Chamberlain.
• 1975: Dealt for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
• 1979: Added Magic Johnson with the first pick in the draft.
• 1982: Selected James Worthy with the first overall selection.
• 1996: Signed Shaquille O’Neal and traded for Kobe Bryant.
• 2008: Acquired Pau Gasol.
• 2012: Added Steve Nash and Dwight Howard.
• 2018: LeBron James signs with the Lakers.
• 2019: The Lakers traded for Anthony Davis.
• 2025: Swapped Davis for Luka Dončić.

 

[Stylizer1]

But even your point about the star players was way way off. In 1997, Jordan was making $33 million, but no one else even came close. Star players today are far wealthier than they were back then.

The point was inflation and how even by today's standards their actual wealth has not gone up.

Essentially the only time the Lakers haven't had a star was the five years between Magics retirement (not counting his short lived comeback; that was essentially a favor to Buss) and Shaq signing with them, and the two years between Kobe retiring and signing Bron.

No better example of buying championships.

 

[Jack Straw]

The league could have spent a million dollars and they couldn't have gotten as much publicity as they got from this trade, for free.

 

[Voight]

The point was inflation and how even by today's standards their actual wealth has not gone up.


No better example of buying championships.

Weird flex given they traded assets for Wilt, Kareem, the picked used on Worthy, Kobe, Davis and now Doncic.

Also in Kobe's later years (and even after he retired until Bron came aboard) they tried and failed to land every major star that was available, so it's not as simple as everybody wants to be in LA.

 

[BB88]

The league could have spent a million dollars and they couldn't have gotten as much publicity as they got from this trade, for free.

You meant billion?

 

[Jack Straw]

You meant billion?

Yeah, that.

 

[Troy McClure]

The point was inflation and how even by today's standards their actual wealth has not gone up.

And my point is their wealth absolutely has gone up. Way up. Every player today from the stars to the bench are multiple times over wealthier than players from the 90s.

Jordan was one guy. A complete exception. Every other player from 1997 was making much less than guys today.

The second highest paid player in 1997 was Patrick Ewing at $20 million, which with inflation brings him to $39 million today. This would make him the 28th highest paid player today.

And as you go down the list, the drop off gets dramatic. The fifth highest paid guy was David Robinson at $12.4 million ($24.6M today). The 10th highest paid guy was Mutombo at $9.6 million ($19 M today). Both of these numbers, even when accounting for inflation, are less than half today's 5th and 10th highest paid guys. And the spread grows larger the farther down the list you go where bench guys today are four and five times wealthier their 90s equivalents.

 

[Stylizer1]

And my point is their wealth absolutely has gone up. Way up. Every player today from the stars to the bench are multiple times over wealthier than players from the 90s.

Jordan was one guy. A complete exception. Every other player from 1997 was making much less than guys today.

The second highest paid player in 1997 was Patrick Ewing at $20 million, which with inflation brings him to $39 million today. This would make him the 28th highest paid player today.

And as you go down the list, the drop off gets dramatic. The fifth highest paid guy was David Robinson at $12.4 million ($24.6M today). The 10th highest paid guy was Mutombo at $9.6 million ($19 M today). Both of these numbers, even when accounting for inflation, are less than half today's 5th and 10th highest paid guys. And the spread grows larger the farther down the list you go where bench guys today are four and five times wealthier their 90s equivalents.

I wasn't trying to compare ever single contract. I was talking in general. the point was inflation. Take from it what you want.

 

[Troy McClure]

I wasn't trying to compare ever single contract. I was talking in general. the point was inflation. Take from it what you want.

And NBA revenue has outgrown inflation multiple times over. You said players were wealthier back then, and it's just not true.

 

[Stylizer1]

And NBA revenue has outgrown inflation multiple times over. You said players were wealthier back then, and it's just not true.

I didn't say that. you are arguing with yourself.

 

[No Fun Shogun]

You know a trade’s bad when the team has to actively deny that they’re poisoning the local well to set up a relocation. Owner’s an accused/potential irl Rachel Phelps from Major League.

 

[Bringer of Jollity]

You know a trade’s bad when the team has to actively deny that they’re poisoning the local well to set up a relocation. Owner’s an accused/potential irl Rachel Phelps from Major League.

 

[bov]

I get the backlash for the trade but not a fan of the excuses being made for a professional of that caliber being overweight with a bad work ethic, conditioning, diet etc. He has definitely come across as a diva in recent years imo and even though the Mavs may have made a horrible deal, you can't let that stuff slide. Hopefully he takes notes from LeBron in that regard.

 

[John Price]

Lake Show

 

[BB88]

I get the backlash for the trade but not a fan of the excuses being made for a professional of that caliber being overweight with a bad work ethic, conditioning, diet etc. He has definitely come across as a diva in recent years imo and even though the Mavs may have made a horrible deal, you can't let that stuff slide. Hopefully he takes notes from LeBron in that regard.

He played the most minutes in the league by anyone last year and won the scoring title and carried his team to the finals

Conditioning issue comments are a bit weird

Also how Mavs are trying to excuse this trade. They traded a generational player who the fans loved and they decided to go against his character to justify this mess

 

[Voight]

I get the backlash for the trade but not a fan of the excuses being made for a professional of that caliber being overweight with a bad work ethic, conditioning, diet etc. He has definitely come across as a diva in recent years imo and even though the Mavs may have made a horrible deal, you can't let that stuff slide. Hopefully he takes notes from LeBron in that regard.

Hes a top 5 player, being a diva comes with the territory. Teams usually let that slide because you know, these guys are really good at what they do.

 

[Jack Straw]

I get the backlash for the trade but not a fan of the excuses being made for a professional of that caliber being overweight with a bad work ethic, conditioning, diet etc. He has definitely come across as a diva in recent years imo and even though the Mavs may have made a horrible deal, you can't let that stuff slide. Hopefully he takes notes from LeBron in that regard.

Irony is a beautiful thing.

Look, everyone realizes he's not an underwear model. Should he work harder on his conditioning? Sure. Same goes for Jokic. That's not a reason to trade a 25 (ok, soon to be 26) year old superstar who is literally the face of your franchise and who has done what he has already done, on the court.

 

[TheTotalPackage]

That's the look of a person who is filled with anger and rage, yet is also about to cry.

 

[John Price]

Might not play until next Monday which is fine. I was disappointed he wasn't playing last night

 

[John Price]