Three-time NBA champion B.J. Armstrong not too long ago weighed in on the controversial blockbuster commerce that despatched Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In line with former Chicago Bulls level guard B.J. Armstrong, who performed with NBA legend Michael Jordan, this deal probably acquired completed as a result of the Dallas Mavericks’ possession group (the Adelson household) coerced normal supervisor Nico Harrison into making this transfer.
B.J. Armstrong Outlines Suspicions Why Dallas Mavericks Proprietor Made This Deal Over GM
On his podcast, “Pushin Via,” Armstrong outlined some NBA realities from his expertise within the league. Not solely was Armstrong an All-Star who performed 11 seasons within the league, he additionally labored in an NBA entrance workplace and serves as an agent, so he is aware of a factor or two about how these sorts of trades go down.
In line with Armstrong, the clandestine nature of the deal and its sudden announcement — going fully in opposition to all basketball norms — screams proprietor intervention.
“That’s an owner-to-owner deal. Belief me on that. If the proprietor says they wanna make the deal, you gotta do your job. And if the proprietor desires to try this, what are you gonna do? This had nothing to do with the GMs or the Presidents or regardless of the titles are,” he mentioned.
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“How do I do know it’s an owner-to-owner deal? It occurred in the course of the night time, on a Saturday. Nobody can speak about it tomorrow on all of the discuss reveals. Somebody knew about it, so I’m not sitting right here appearing just like the GM made this name. No! Come on. You’re gonna do this? Somebody knew. The somebody are the house owners — one proprietor to a different proprietor.
“We reside within the age of knowledge, proper? And nobody heard about it? Nobody heard about this? The house owners felt it was good enterprise for them for regardless of the cause could also be, and it’s completed. Let’s play basketball. That’s what I wanna see.”
Whereas most followers suppose Mark Cuban owns the Mavericks, that’s not the case. He offered his majority stake within the group in 2023, and he has confirmed that he wasn’t concerned on this deal. On FanDuel TV’s “Run It Again,” former Mavericks ahead Chandler Parsons revealed that Cuban was blindsided by this transfer identical to all people else.
“I texted (Mark Cuban) and I mentioned, ‘I’m so confused.’ He wrote again, ‘That makes two of us.’ In order that form of tells you proper there he wasn’t concerned,” Parsons mentioned.
Armstrong is just not the one one who believes that Harrison’s hand was compelled into making this polarizing commerce. Some NBA followers have theorized that Miriam Adelson, who leads the Adelson group that controls the Mavericks, is concerned about tanking the worth of the group so as to have the ability to transfer them to Las Vegas within the close to future.
Nevertheless, this principle doesn’t appear to be primarily based in actuality.
The NBA has lengthy expressed its need to broaden and has outlined Las Vegas as one in all its prime locations so as to add a group. Nevertheless, Dallas is among the many USA’s most rabid sports activities cities.
The Mavericks are an integral a part of the id of the Texas powerhouse and the DFW space. Leaving such an enormous metropolitan space for a smaller, if extra glamorous and profitable market, doesn’t sound like sound enterprise.
As a substitute, Parsons has a distinct principle.
“By the way in which, this new possession group — Patrick Dumont, Adelson Household, they’re enterprise individuals, they’re Vegas On line casino, actual property moguls. They know nothing concerning the NBA and basketball,” Parsons defined.
Both manner, it’s essential to notice that trades like this simply don’t occur, particularly simply seven months after an NBA finals sojourn. The truth that different NBA groups didn’t have an opportunity to beat the Lakers’ supply for Dončić makes it even stranger.
It actually appears there have been different forces at play right here or issues occurring behind the scenes that compelled Harrison’s hand.