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In case you missed it, Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow at 7:30AM EST Sunday morning in north central Pennsylvania.
In front of a throng of hundreds of cheering, cold and numerous hung-over local enthusiasts, the weather prognosticating woodchuck predicted six more weeks of winter.
Sorry, Phil.
My calendar says it will be winter until March 20. Isn’t that about six weeks from today anyway?
In his early 1990’s movie, Bill Murray portrayed an unhappy local weather personality who was dispatched to cover Punxatawny, PA’s annual Groundhog Day festivities.
While waking the next morning, Murray’s character learns that he is living the same day over and over again.
Dallas Mavericks fans would have preferred to wake up on Groundhog Day 2024 (or 2023…)
One of the biggest shocker trades in NBA history just took place on Groundhog Day 2025.
Luka Doncic, the soon-to-be 26-year old superstar guard for the Dallas Mavericks, was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In return, the Mavs received talented soon-to-be 32 years old Lakers center Anthony Davis.
Let’s set the stage for the biggest one-for-one NBA player trade in recent memory
First, both of the basketball players are currently injured and not playing for their respective teams as of the trade announcement.
Luka Doncic of the Mavericks has not suited-up since Christmas with a lingering calf injury. He played in less than half of the team’s first 50 games this season.
Anthony Davis (Lakers) has been undergoing treatment for an abdominal muscle strain for the past week. He is expected return to the line-up with two weeks.
At the time of the trade, the Dallas Mavericks were 26-24 and mired in ninth place in the NBA Western Conference. The Los Angeles Lakers were 28-19 and safely in fifth place in the NBA West.
Both teams would qualify for the NBA playoffs if the season ended today.
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is averaging 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists per game this season.
Now in his seventh NBA season, those numbers are in line with his career averages.
Anthony Davis is six years older than Luka Doncic. The former top pick of the New Orleans Pelicans was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers nearly six years ago.
This season, Davis is averaging 26 points and 12 rebounds per game (both higher than his ten year NBA average).
Why would the Dallas Mavericks trade their biggest star since Dirk Nowitski?
The rather cocky Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison has quickly replaced Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as the most despised sports figure in the DFW Metroplex.
At Sunday’s news conference discussing the trade, GM Nico Harrison contended that adding Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks line-up makes them a better team.
Sitting alongside the team’s head coach, Jason Kidd, Nico Harrison boldly proclaimed that this trade was a winner for the Dallas Mavericks.
He stated, “We’ve had a vision here and the culture that we want to create since we’ve been here. We think defense wins championships, and we’re bringing in one of the best two-way players in the league.”
“Let’s be clear”, Harrison added. “I’m the one making the decision and (Jason Kidd) is supportive of it, so it’s me.”
Who the heck is Nico Harrison?
I had not heard of the 52-year old Dallas General Manager prior to Sunday’s blockbuster trade.
A former small college basketball player at Montana State, Nico Harrison played semi-pro basketball overseas for five years prior to giving up on his pro basketball journey.
Nico Harrison took a job working as Nike’s representative for NBA stars like Dallas’ Dirk Nowitski and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan. He progressed up the corporate ladder to become a Vice President over his 19 years with the company.
In 2021, the Dallas Mavericks surprised many by naming Nico Harrison to succeed longtime General Manager Donnie Nelson. His hiring coincided with Jason Kidd becoming the Mavericks’ new head coach.
Luka Doncic was drafted by the previous Dallas Mavericks management group. A prolific offensive force, the 6’6” guard combines several important skills.
Former NBA coach Doc Rivers said Doncic’s three point shooting reminded him of James Harden, his passing is like Larry Bird, and court vision is much like LeBron James.
However, Luka Doncic (like many top offensive stars in the NBA) tends to rest on the defensive end of the basketball court.
For a coach like Jason Kidd (who was known for his defensive skills), an offensive-minded scoring machine such as Doncic may have been difficult to manage.
Let’s not forget the Kyrie Irving effect
For the past two seasons, Luka Doncic’s backcourt teammate has been Kyrie Irving.
Sporting one of the NBA’s biggest egos, Kyrie Irving has not been the most beloved teammate at his three other pro basketball stops.
Drafted out of Duke in 2011 by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love joined LeBron James to bring Cleveland its lone NBA title in 2016.
Once LeBron bolted Cleveland for the Lakers, Kyrie Irving demanded a trade.
He was shipped to the Boston Celtics in 2017.
After only two seasons in Beantown, the passionate Celtics fans quickly tired of the moody Kyrie Irving’s pouting antics. He was booed lustily by the home crowds.
Irving signed a free agent deal to join the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. After three seasons of injuries and few positive results, Irving demanded to be traded once again.
Notice a pattern here?
In February, 2023, Kyrie Irving’s fourth NBA stop took him to Dallas. Upon arrival in Big D, the current Dallas Mavericks General Manager and Coach were already onboard.
They were the ones who wanted to bring Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
Meanwhile, the young Luka Doncic had quickly established himself as the Dallas Mavericks fan favorite.
Putting the petulant 32-year old Kyrie Irving into the same backcourt with Luka Doncic was bound to produce sparks.
Both players need the basketball in their hands on offense to be happy. Alas, there’s only one ball.
After this weekend’s big trade, Team Kyrie (the player, the GM, and the head coach) may feel like the victors in Dallas.
The Mavericks popular young star was shipped to the Lakers under a flawed theory that “defense wins championships”.
Does defense really win championships…in the NBA?
Let’s examine the past decade of NBA champions:
2024 – Boston Celtics – #2 offense (121 ppg) and #6 in defense (108.5 ppg)
2023 – Denver Nuggets – #12 offense (116 ppg) and #8 defensively (112.5 ppg)
2022 – Golden State Warriors – #15 offense (111 ppg) and #3 defense (105.5 ppg)
2021 – Milwaukee Bucks – #1 offense (120 ppg) and #22 defense (114.5 ppg)
2020 – Los Angeles Lakers – #11 offense (113 ppg) and #4 defense (107.6 ppg)
2019 – Toronto Raptors – #8 offense (114 ppg) and #9 defensively (108 ppg)
2018 – Golden State Warriors – #1 offense (114 ppg) and #18 defense (108 ppg)
2017 – Golden State Warriors – #1 offense (116 ppg) and #11 defensively (104 ppg)
2016 – Cleveland Cavaliers – #8 offense (104 ppg) and #4 defense (98 ppg)
2015 – Golden State Warriors – #1 offense (110 ppg) and #15 defense (100 ppg)
In the past ten years, the average NBA champion had the #6-ranked offensive unit and the tenth rated defense.
The best measure of NBA champions has been the team’s average margin of victory.
Based on those stats, last year’s Boston Celtics (average margin of victory 12.5 ppg) and the 2017 Golden State Warriors (12 ppg) have been the most dominant teams.
Through Sunday, February 2 (the date of this trade), the Dallas Mavericks were #11 on offense (115 ppg) and #16 on team defense (113 ppg).
Anthony Davis and his Los Angeles Lakers were #17 in the NBA on offense (112 ppg) and the #12 on defense (112 ppg).
Did Dallas trade Luka Doncic because of his potential future salary?
Yet another plausible reason existed to possibly “justify” this trade to angry Dallas Mavericks fans.
Luka Doncic would have been eligible for the NBA “supermax” contract extension after next season (spring 2026). He could have been paid up to $70 million/year by Dallas if he signed a new contract with the Mavericks.
With this trade to Los Angeles, Luka Doncic’s maximum contract extension will fetch “only” $55 million per season with the Lakers.
The Dallas Mavericks just cost Luka Doncic $15 million per year ($60 million over a 4-year contract extension) by dealing him to the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers (and the NBA) now have a young star to build on
LeBron James recently turned 40 years old. Eventually, he’s going to retire or leave (maybe???).
Luka Doncic’s star power in Los Angeles is sure to make the NBA brass happy, too.
The league’s second most popular franchise (behind Boston) has a young superstar with a contract that his new team can easily afford to extend.
The happiest man in Dallas today is none other than Jerry Jones!
The Dallas Cowboys team owner was just demoted from top villain in the area’s sports pages and on local sports talk radio shows. The new #1 sports scoundrel, Nico Harrison of the Dallas Mavericks, deserves the scorn of north Texas sports fans.
Ol’ Jerry will probably rooting for the Dallas Mavericks to take their sweet time on winning a second NBA title anytime soon.
Misery loves company!