Solid

From Bobby Marks

I was hoping it would be Riccardi but Masai is a real professional. Of all the possible candidates, he's one of the good ones.

I like it. Get a true pro. Lots of work to be done and the network of a guy like this could be very helpful in addition to his skill

Am I crazy for thinking "Team President" and "Alternate Governor" sound like higher titles than "General Manager" or "President of Basketball Operations" which were Nico's titles? Alternate Governor basically implies he has all the authority that Dumont would have.

Maybe Masai won't be the direct decider on roster construction and there is another hire to be made.

Ya i think the title implies complete control and perhaps Dumont is happy to fade away as simply the 'money guy.' Either way, it's nice to have a guy with actual Front Office pedigree and not a f'kn shoe salesman.

Sounds like Dumont's way of insulating himself from any Luka like mistakes. I'm guessing Massai will work with a GM but not handle all of the day-to-day stuff. Ultimately he can give blessing to any move without Dumont being involved.

Whatever Ujiri's title is, I fully expect him to be making almost all of the critical basketball decisions for this organization.

Seems to me like there could be a major 180 on the coaching front for the Mavs. Word was that Dumont really liked having Jason Kidd be the coach to work with a young Cooper Flagg and rookie guard, but as soon as Ujiri was hired I think other plans could be in place.

And on top of that, let's be honest, we're all a bit skeptical of Kidd.

I haven't been nearly as anti-Kidd as most Mavs fans. I actually think Kidd did good work when we were in the playoffs. His press conferences can be annoying, but I think he's been a solidly top half of the league type of coach.

Not sure who the options would be if we are in the market. We'd probably look at an up and comer type. Hopefully Sweeney would be on the short list.

So the question is would you rather dance with the devil you know or swing at an unknown.

I don't think he's bad by any means, but in connection with all of the Luka stuff I think people just don't know how to feel anymore.

I want him gone yesterday, primarily bc of all the Luka stuff. Plus, he's not known to be good at developing players. I know cooper had good things to say about him, but I don't put any stock in that bc cooper is such a good guy and is deferential to leadership. So he's going to say that no matter what his true feelings are.

I don't have a problem with Kidd's coaching, but I do think this is primed to be a political powderkeg so likely best to move on from him. This is Masai's team to run and I don't want to see them start with drama. Clean slate this *****

I don't disagree, but isn't that the case with many NBA stars? Contracts are just insane.

NoahAg said:

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I don't disagree, but isn't that the case with many NBA stars? Contracts are just insane.

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It is best to look at it in terms of percentage of the salary cap, because the raw numbers look ridiculous. Luka will get 30% of the cap for the next three years, then will get the 35% super max. He's obviously elite (offensively) when he is on the floor and big enough that you can hide him better defensively. But 50 games last year and 64 games this year while missing all of the playoffs is obviously concerning.

How much do you trust Luka to work hard to stay in shape, and how much do you trust his body to handle the rigors of the NBA season?

He's not Embiid levels of worry, but his injuries don't look good. Hamstrings, calf, knees, ankles, quads... it is kind of everything. https://www.foxsports.com/nba/luka-doncic-player-injuries

So the Luka conundrum is two-fold:
1. Will he be healthy?
2. Can you put enough defense around him to win?

Right now, Lakers have three super talented offensive players (Bron may walk) and awful defense (19th.) This is the Lakers last chance to make a big move, unless LeBron stays. Smart and Vanderbilt are good defenders, but both are hugely negative on offense. That is ok when you have Luka/LeBron/Reaves, but LeBron probably leaves.

Once Reaves signs his extension, Lakers cap space is over.

Lakers have their own pick this year (25th), no pick next year (Utah), their own pick in 28 (can't trade it), no pick in 29 (Dallas), then their own pick in 30+ (can't trade 2030.) So they can't trade a pick until the 2031 draft and they can only trade that one pick, the 2033 pick after next calendar season starts, and swap the others.

I don't think the Lakers have the assets to build depth or the defensive presence that Luka needs around him to win. I don't think there should be panic about Luka's contract yet, but I also don't think the Lakers can possibly build a championship level team around Luka+Reaves.

jeffdjohnson said:

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Fire Kidd
Replace Kidd with a Luka friendly coach
Dumont sells small ownership stake to Dirk
Comic Sans apology letter to Luka from Dumont
Lakers fans run Luka out of LA
Luka back in 2028 to pair with Flagg and Dybansta

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I just don't think that's ever going to happen. On defense Luka is a liability and always will be especially with age. On offense, sure he's one of the NBA's best scorers but some of that comes at the expense of other players. Luka tends to be a ball hog and the offensive sets always seem to slow down when he's in there. I think Masai Ujiri want's to use the $$ in a different way and go a different route with Flagg remaining the center piece.

Great writeup, Soup.
Crazy that Luka is only 27 and we're (kinda) talking about the clock ticking on his prime playing days.

NoahAg said:

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I don't disagree, but isn't that the case with many NBA stars? Contracts are just insane.

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Soup already hit the main parts but I think that Luka will age even worse than your typical star. Like I'm not worried about paying Tatum or SGA from 32-36, but I have trouble imagining mid 30s Luka staying on the court when mid 20s Luka couldn't stay on the court.

The salaries are insane, but as long as a guy mostly stays healthy and produces that's the cost of business. If you don't pay your stars, someone else will.

I wouldn't want to pay Tatum either.

Basketball is becoming more and more a young man's game, just like football and soccer. The shear athleticism, speed, and stopping and starting in these sports is at an all time high, and guys bodies entering their mid 30's just do not hold up anymore unless you're a one of one athlete like LeBron, Derrick Henry etc.

In large part thanks to AAU. 25 year olds today have a lot more mileage on their legs than 25 year olds of the 1990s.

100%

It's a discussion that's been ongoing for years in European soccer with kids coming up through academies that are all world talents. It's great to have youth and skill that young, as you can have those players for 12-15 years before they turn 30, but equally do you want to subject those kids to a man's game, running mile after mile after mile. Stopping, starting, traveling etc. My opinion is no and you should limit their exposure some.

The athleticism has always been there, the thing that's different the past few years is the huge increase in the pace of play. But even that isn't without precedent, NBA games were played at light speed pace in the early 90s also.

AggieEP said:

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I think there is a good chance that Luka does not age well and that no one is excited to pay him 70 million a year in his mid 30s. He's already been sidelined way more than normal by strains and other soft tissue issues.

Dallas was dumb to sell prime Luka for pennies on the dollar, but someone is eventually going to be holding on to an expensive former star.

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This may be the correct take and maybe Nico wasn't crazy to think along these lines (even though his return couldn't have been worse), but I still wouldn't think twice about paying old man Luka big money to come back.

Maybe GMs shouldn't think like this, but sports are supposed to be fun. At the end of the day it is supposed to be entertaining. If you are maximizing championship odds and trying to squeeze out every last percentage increase in probability, then maybe paying 30+ year old Luka is too risky of a gambit. If you are trying to maximize engagement and entertainment then paying prodigal son Luka to return to Dallas and pair with Flagg is one of the best storylines in sports. It's one of the things that Nico didn't seem to understand when that move was made.

So with the lottery on Sunday, what all are we doing or sacrificing for the Mavs to move up into the top four?

lol last year i was literally driving to LaLa Land to get coffee when i got the notification we won the lottery so i'll be making another fru-fru coffee shop run for "mother's day" (totally not to replicate the same voodoo circumstances so my fav pro sports team can profit off the luck of drafting a teenager).

I have little doubt that Luka will be a cap anchor for someone at some point. That said, it takes transcendent talents to win championships in this league and he is one. And a basket full of #1 picks does not ever guarantee you'll get another. You find a guy like Luka, you do all you can to build around him. His availability is a concern, but as far as his game, he already plays an old man game that should age well as long as he's on the floor

One thing about Luka that I think the Lakers are going to have to crack down on or figure out as he continues to age is decreasing his usage rate. Luka had a 38.0% usage rate in 2025-2026, which is up there with the highest usage rates of all time.

Because he's not some athletic freak or doesn't do the absolute most to take care of his body, I think he's inherently more at risk for injury because of his usage rate. Just my opinion.