In lieu of the Dallas dumpster fire

Id do it

I would do that deal in a fricking heartbeat

I mean Luka is better, generally healthier, has a hotter mom, has a quieter family, and is just generally more likeable than Pels Zion. Yeah, he throws his tantrums with the refs, as he probably should bc they fricking suck, but Luka is 95% fun, 5% competitive maniac which is a good thing in terms of winning. Zion just limps around and frowns all game unless he starts missing consecutive free throws, that’s the only thing that draws true smiles from him in game.

All that being said, I love Zion, but trading him for Luka isn’t giving up on him. Not trading him for Luka if that is on the table would be pretty idiotic lol.

I mean I wouldn’t hate it. I’d prefer Luka and Zion together tho

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Nelson and Carlisle to rather abruptly pack up and leave.

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McMahon(which it takes place before the Carlisle exit) suggests there was real, major tension with Luka and Carlisle. Luka regularly blew up at Rick(and like I said, some of it comes from a good place, but it’s clear how emotionally driven Luka is, without a willingness to self reflect, and that to me is a dangerous combo to build a team around in a small market).

You’d basically need to create perfect conditions:

- win immediately
- a coach Luka can respect and relate to that will get the best out of him but not ride him or ANY players too hard.
- put very good teammates 2-4 around him, which will have some Harden-esque type issues because how domineering he wants to play and control the offense
- hope something never sets him off and he goes toxic

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damn, y'all give up Zion just like that??

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you’re delusional if you think he doesn’t want out

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just generally more likeable than Pels Zion.

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Gotta disagree here.

Yeah, Luka is a hot-head and I agree he'd be much worse than Zion who's a kid mentally that is being driven by his interfering family. I always believed that family has no place in a players affairs, but it's becoming more and more commonplace these days. Luka, on the other hand is something totally different, he's young like Zion, but dude is totally involved in his own affairs. If he can't be satisfied in Dallas he def won't be in a New Orleans market.

also, Carlisle is a good coach, if he ran him off then he is toxic. I know he was fond of GM Nelson and hated seeing him step down, but if Carlisle stepped because of him, well.... but everything you listed for him to be satisfied they already had right there in Dallas. Lol
Players like Hardaway, Finney-Smith, Brunson, and even Porzingis (although now I'm hearing different about him liking playing with Doncic), but they pretty much gave him his way. He controlled the ball and tempo all the time, and was on a winning team that to me was just 1 big player from winning it all. Someone like a Kawhi Leaonard would have put them there or even Zion if Cuban could get him there wothout giving up the house. But Griffin's stupid arse just might though, the Lakers got AD for hardly nothing it seems like now with all the junk players the Pels got in return.

frick No