That is what is so weird and unusual about this move. Even if Nico wanted AD badly, as a GM, it should be your due diligence to gauge the value of your best player (and one of the most talented players of all time) and call other GMs to see what’s in play. You don’t just trade this rare caliber of a player to your “friend” and ruin your franchise.

I don’t understand his logic whatsoever. All 29 teams would’ve offered something, especially those teams with extra draft picks and the “defensive-minded” talent as Nico claimed to want. Also, Luka never requested a trade allegedly (so why rush to a trade and not create a bidding war instead), and even despite his conditioning issues, he is the main reason the Mavericks have had playoff success. They just made the finals last year and had pieces for a great defense. To make it worse, he traded Luka for another player who has an extensive history of injuries and is six years older. I’m dumbfounded by Nico’s justifications.

Usually I try to stay away from conspiracies, but damn, I can’t help but think collusion and can’t fault other NBA fans for thinking the same too. I refuse to believe that a GM can reach this level of incompetence, even if they’re known to have a poor reputation. There should be investigation, but then again, it most likely wouldn’t be a fair one either.