Laker loot! Mavericks trade future for fragile AD
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Laker loot! Mavericks trade future for fragile AD

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NBA history was made in the controversial trade that saw the Dallas Mavericks ship Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. Never before had there been such a superstar-for-superstar swap.

And the reaction to the deal has been wilder than Wiggins' World has ever seen from fans of The League, especially in Dallas. More on this later.

For now, let's focus on the magnitude of the transaction.

Superstars have been traded before in the NBA -- Wilt Chamberlain (twice), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Shaquille O'Neal and Moses Malone to name a few. But never for another superstar, a player of equal value.

In each case, these superstars were traded for a handful of serviceable -- at best -- talent.

And most of the big names were traded at their own request or demand.

Management acquiesced to the request of Wilt, Kareem the Big O and Shaq because they had no choice.

All four had performed admirably in their old location and for various reasons wanted (demanded?) to just move on to a more desirable location -- either a more pleasant living environment or to be on a winning team.

Malone was traded because he had become too expensive for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The fallout over the trading of these former NBA superstars, though, was minimal.

No, the fans in their former cities did not want to see them go. But the faithful understood the circumstances and were not TOO steamed about losing their superstar.

The intense fan reaction to the Doncic-Davis deal, however, was unprecedented.

Initially, Dallas Mavericks fans were in an uproar. They expressed their displeasure through signs waved at a Mavs home game and vocally by booing and yelling angrily at Mavs general manager Nico Harrison, who had engineered the deal.

Many were so upset that they were ejected from the arena.

The NBA fan reaction was so hot and heavy Wiggins' World had to go waaay back to find a comparison in any of the US's big four sports leagues, the NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL.

The only similar circumstance WW could recall occurred in 1960 when the Cleveland Indians traded slugger Rocky Colavito to the Detroit Tigers for batting average champ Harvey Kuenn.

The swap absolutely shocked the American sports world. Two outstanding players of differing quality had been exchanged for each other.

Each was a superstar in his own way.

Colavito has been among the American League leaders in home runs and runs batted in yearly.

Kuenn, meanwhile, was Mr Consistency in the AL batting average race each campaign, a lifetime .300 plus hitter.

Cleveland fans were livid, as Maverick fans are now. They and most of the pundits feel like the Tribe got the worst of the deal. No way a prolific slugger should be swapped for a .300 hitter.

Similarly, Dallas fans are enraged that they've lost a versatile superstar forward, just 25, who was the face of the franchise and took their Mavs team to the NBA finals last season.

They're upset with getting the 31-year old oft-injured but outstanding-when-he's healthy Davis in return.

Mavericks fans feel the future of the franchise was traded for a temporary fix -- a guy who is a defensive stopper underneath the hoop and low post scorer, each presently much needed by Dallas.

Most NBA analysts agree. They feel the Lakers have ensured a bright non-LeBron James future.

Whereas, who knows how long Davis will be a force? He's already currently out indefinitely with an adductor muscle strain. Long range, Wiggins' World agrees. It does seem like the Lakers got the best of the deal.

It appears that they have acquired a player not unlike ex-Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki for the foreseeable future.

Nowitzki won an NBA title in Dallas. Luka Doncic, now, will not.


Contact Wggins' World at davewigg4350@gmail.com

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