IT WAS a typical Sunday afternoon in the Philippines, with the sun beaming brightly over the archipelago as families gathered to spend their weekends, the soft buzz of quiet streets serving as a steady backdrop.
Basketball fans all across the world were all of a sudden up in arms after an unexpected blockbuster NBA deal rocked the internet and possibly the entire landscape of the sport.
The Dallas Mavericks traded their best player, Luka Dončić, for Anthony Davis, a seasoned big man from the Los Angeles Lakers. The deal, which took place with little to no warning, not only sparked the basketball community, but also sent shockwaves through global sports media.
This deal is now considered among the most startling in NBA history. Now that the deal has become a reality, let us move on to another essential topic.
Who won the big trade? Let’s ask Bill Velasco, a prominent Filipino sports analyst, how this deal went.
Money Talks
During a phone conversation with republicasia, Velasco made it a point to emphasize one of the most crucial aspects of the trade, which some consider to be the most shocking in recent history: money.
“It saved a lot of money for Dallas, kasi next year Luka is eligible for the supermax contract of 345 million dollars for five years, if he’s not traded,” said Velasco.
“But here, he got traded to LA so he’s going to get only a maximum of 229 million dollars, so he lost 116 million in that trade. Ayun ang natipid ng Dallas,” he added.
While Mavericks management successfully avoided a major problem with Luka’s then-future contract extension with the franchise, it appears that the 25-year-old All-Star player is the one on the losing end of the deal.
“On the other hand, Luka is coming from a state where there’s no personal income tax, and he’s going to California, which has the highest personal income tax,” he added.
“He’ll be paying about half of his income in taxes. So nalugi na siya doon sa trade, lugi pa siya sa bayad ng tax because income is being earned in California,” he went on to explain.
Gambling Today for Tomorrow
The seasoned sports expert argued that the Lakers gambled on Dončić in the same way that the Mavericks did for Davis in this transaction. However, it was a far superior decision for the latter side.
“I think it’s a gamble on the part of LA,” said Velasco. “Medyo makakahinga ang Dallas, at the same time, because they’re worried about his weight. He’s been gaining weight, he weighs around 270 pounds now.”
“He’s one of the top ten heaviest players in the entire NBA, and he’s a guard. Obviously, that’s going to slow him down, make him more prone to injury, and it shows that he’s not disciplined.”
“Ayun palang, sugal na sa LA ‘yon. Lakers are basically gambling today for tomorrow, kasi they want to transition to the post LeBron [James] era, but they’re leaving themselves like a doughnut, walang center,” he explained.
Velasco emphasized how successful the Lakers have been when they have a powerful center. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, Pau Gasol, and many others.
With all of that put out, it would be interesting to hear his honest thoughts on this move. Did the LA Lakers win despite gambling on their future? Or have the Dallas Mavericks assured themselves of a title? Let us grade the trade.
Los Angeles Lakers – C
Velasco’s primary issue in the Davis-Dončić transaction is who will man the paint for the Lakers. This prompted him to consider giving LA a strong C-grade for the acquisition.
Furthermore, given Luka’s young age, he has demonstrated a lot of immaturity in his game, such as how he responds to referees when a call goes against him, even in an international tournament like the FIBA World Cup.
“I’ll honestly give LA a C. They got something, but it’s not a finished product. Plus, they have to make more trades, because wala eh, sinong magre-rebound para sa kanila. There’s no leadership in the front court,” he said.
“Honestly, in my opinion, Luka Dončić has not proven himself to be a championship caliber player. We saw it first-hand sa World Cup when Slovenia played. He would scream at the referees, get mad at his coach.”
“This team did not progress, and this has been the problem of Dallas. He cannot carry them deep enough to the playoffs. So it’s a gamble for LA, ‘cause they are hoping that he’ll be around long enough to transition,” he added.
However, Velasco added that these takes are just based on what is in front of us. The analysis is based on the current condition of the Lakers and Dončić. However, the analyst is optimistic that the Slovenian player would turn things around in California.
Dallas Mavericks – B+
B+ is a fair grade to give the Dallas Mavericks for completing the trade. This would put them in a good position to test other ways that might work for them rather than waiting for Luka’s prime to hit.
“I would probably give Dallas a B+. Wala namang down side sa kanila eh. Now they can develop better chemistry. For all intents and purposes, Luka was a great player for them, but kulang sa respeto sa mga kakampi niya eh,” says the veteran sports journalist.
On a side note, Velasco clarified that Dallas is still taking a gamble with Davis’ injury history. However, this gives the Mavericks a chance to figure out how this could work for them.
“That’s one concern also, but you have to remember the kind of team they’ll be without Luka there. Maybe change the way they play, they might slow it down, and maybe Anthony Davis will have a role inside the paint,” he said.
“This is without having to run around so much to make space for LeBron. ‘Tska to be honest, Davis is not really a center. He’s a power forward that you stretch out into a center, so hopefully Dallas will get someone to help him.”
Despite the fact that Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison considered this move as a “win-now” decision, the Filipino analyst feels it would take a few years before Dallas’ situation stabilizes.
Davis and the entire team will have to find out how to make the deal work, especially since it occurred in the middle of the season, before they can win another NBA championship.
The Veteran’s Overall Analysis
Thinking about the future, the Los Angeles Lakers considerably made the appropriate basketball and business decision by signing Dončić, considering LeBron’s already at the tail end of his career.
Davis, with the Dallas Mavericks, is an issue in the paint on both offense and defense. This makes him an urgent problem for the other teams to solve, especially now that Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford are back.
Prior to their injuries, both players had solid averages. Dončić averaged 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game, compared to Davis’s 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.
Nonetheless, all of these perspectives are based on what is currently available for both teams. As Dallas’ GM Harrison stated, only time will tell which of these tough decisions was correct.
