This is probably it. I can't think of another team with piece that fit better that swapping Luka with Kat. Rudy as a lob threat and d, Ant is Ant, DLo will have to be a shooter, but that might work. They would actually be a really good team.
I'm biased but Twolves were the first to come to mind for me as well. They're in the sweet spot of having a lot of top end talent where the gap between their #1 and their other best players is relatively small. I think Raptors could also be another good answer.
Not weird at all - taking away kat helps with their problems in the paint, Gobert just has to be a defensive anchor and catch passes from an elite PG, and Anthony Edwards gets more space to work b/c of Lukas gravity. DLo gets traded for a couple role players
Actually see this as well… I said Jazz in my post but this may be the right answer considered both the offensive and defensive talent that would surround him.
Mavs. Just have Luka start playing like shit on purpose so that the best player is Dinwiddie or someone. Then pull the trigger on this scenario and boom, two Lukas!
toronto raptors are what I've settled on. they are a fast-break team, with great defenders but poor half-court creation, which is what Luka thrives at. bring in Luka for Siakam, and potentially play a lineup of Luka-FVV-Scottie-OG- Koloko. I can see that team losing in six to Celtics/bucks in the playoffs semis, maybe even seven.
Hawks is a reasonable answer but it's gotta hurt their fans to think they're one of the only teams who directly chose their current fate over getting Luka. I'm not a Suns fan with delusional copium pretending Ayton is a "better fit", it's insane when Suns or Hawks fans pretend they didn't fuck up that draft.
I was just thinking about this the other day, it's got to be the Raptors. The length, athleticism, shooting and defense, and back-up ball handling. It would be insane fun as well.
Thought of them too. The upgrade isnt that huge but the team is in a great spot but if you replace Mitchell with Luka its unstoppable because they now have size with Garland and not just 2 small guys
Wolves = a good answer. I think dropping KAT and adding Luka would help both Ant and Gobert too. Not anything against KAT, the roster is just a weird fit right now.
it's an interesting thought. they're already putting up the most pts/100 possessions ever so does adding Luka move that needle enough to make up for the hit their defense would take? I think you get a bump in O and drop in D for a net zero which I guess would still keep them at the top of the NBA right now
Tbh surprised at the lack of Suns here. Booker is amazing, but the three best teams in the league are the Celtics, Bucks, and Suns, and the Suns are the only ones to clearly upgrade with this swap. It would make so much sense too.
Booker is too vital to the team. They would be good but I think there are better fits with better overall talent. It would be an upgrade but not a big one, especially since cp3 when healthy is our floor general. He wouldn't be very useful off ball
I think it's the Pelicans. Not sure if Zion or BI is their consensus best player, but the rest of their team has shooting, length, defense, and crafty scoring guards that can take some of the load like Brunson did. They would be title contenders without a doubt.
Minny right? No matter if you're considering ANT or KAT their top guy, move either one and you solve considerable problems that team has by turning them into Luka.
The Celtics are probably the best team in the league right now and Luka is better than Tatum. Luka with the amount of shooting the Celtics have would be absurd.
Something that might spoil that is how much Boston relies on Tatum being such a beast at both ends of the floor. Luka's better offensively, but he's a huge downgrade from Tatum on defense.
I guess this shows a lot of fans don’t see the Clippers as a threat, but just think about swapping Kawhi/PG for Luka on that team. Their Achilles heel has been not having someone to really orchestrate the offense efficiently since pairing Kawhi and PG. Luka would work well with either of them and they are a very deep team with all types of roleplayers.
Its probably the Celtics just because they have been so far above the pack. Luka might not make them better than they currently are but they still would probably be better than any other team with luka replacing the best player
I think it depends on how they play. Luka doesn’t fit into the Celtics offense at all the way Tatum does, plus they’re a team that likes to run. Not saying that luka is better (hard to say), but luka can’t do what Tatum does on defense or off the ball
yo this is a stupid take, celtics domt have a weakness at playmaking, they share the ball well and are top 5 in the league in assists, meanwhile luka ball has made the mavs dead last in assists. the celtics get worse if the swap tatum for luka straight up
He plays real slow so it has to be a team like when harden was with houston a team of shooters that r rdy to shoot when they get the ball and thinking about it he prlly wont win a chip like this just like harden he doesnt make his teammates better chuck was right about he has to play faster and more off the ball
Bulls? Lavine is a mile and a half behind luka and since it’s hypothetical we can assume lonzo is back. Lonzo, Luka, Demar, P will, Vuc is something I’d love to see.
Okc. Luka needs young guys who are energetic, can dribble, hustle, dive, attack the rim, shoot for him. If he doesnt have those then whichever team he is on will just end up being what the mavs are now
It’s crazy that I can only think of 2 teams (maybe 3) that get worse. Bucks, Celtics, maybe Nuggets? The crazier thing is that the answer to the question is still the Celtics either way, because even if they get slightly worse because of the loss on D, they would still be the best team in the league.
The whole replacing Tatum with Luka take is ridiculous (not just the answers in this thread but the general mindset); they’re two totally different players, and Luka wouldn’t be utilized the same way on the Celtics. The lack of defense would be an issue as well. Furthermore strange take to replace one elite talent with another on a team that’s already in first and has a finals appearance…
Yeah agreed. It's weird because I think they are better offensively with Luka but Tatum brings defense, like... a lot of defense. The Celtics need a 2 way superstar like Tatum more than they need Luka.
Love the downvotes lol. Sure replace Tatum for Luka on a team that’s already dominant, makes a ton of sense especially in a system where Luka wouldn’t have the ball in hands 100% of the time and Tatum’s defensive impact is highly valued.
I don’t think he would make any team the best if you swapped their best player. He is pretty good but all the top teams would be worse with Luka. If you swapped with 76ers, Warriors, Celtics or Bucks they would all be worse with Luka.
Hornets when healthy and not in jail is an interesting choice Miles makes a good running mate for Luka Terry and Hayward become elite 3-4th options And a bunch of scoring wings off the bench.
Y'all are high af right now lol. Tatum for Luka is at best a sideways move. The C's league history best offense does not need any help and Luka would be mercilessly hunted on defense here. Swapping team ball for 40% usage Luka ball would piss off everyone, especially Jaylen.
I disagree, the Celtics offense is already awesome, so Luka doesn't help their offense much, and Tatum is a much better defender than Luka. Swapping Luka for Tatum is a at best a marginal offensive upgrade and a clear defensive decline. The Celtics are one of the few teams that get worse by swapping Luka for their best player.
It is hard to imagine a Curry-less Warriors, but damn, you put Luka in that system with Klay and Poole shooting, Dray and Wiggins defending, that team is a problem.
Celtics are better than everyone and replacing Tatum with Luka keeps them at the same strength. So they’d still be the best. This is a pretty dumb question tbh. The actual question should be who benefits the most. Celtics would not benefit that much at all. Bucks would be a negative. Jazz or Wolves are a massive positive.
Yeah don’t get this take… I understand ranking Luka above Tatum as an individual player but the play style is so different and the Celtics have already proven to win with Tatum as the lead. I don’t think Luka over Tatum changes that much; if anything they’d probably be similar.
The Celtics offense is already awesome, so there isn't much they can do to improve on that end by swapping Luka for Tatum while that trade is a clear defensive downgrade.
I'm surprised no one has said Phoenix. They have great defense and shooting, Ayton would be great in the p&r with Luka, and we've always wanted to see an nba dad play on the same team as their kids.
I don't like this game.
Don’t worry, he’s still got like 5 years
Assuming the trade is with the Bucks, Nuggets, Sixers, Warriors, or Nets, it isn't the worst thing in the world
You should, you guys have 2 Lukas now.
i'm pretty sure if anyone comes with a trade deal for Luka, Mark just comes out the house with the sawed off lookin mad as fuck
Luka on the current clippers team would be the perfect fit
Who would protect the rim once Zubac is off the team?
That’s cheating. Clippers are automatically better bc Luka is healthy.
Luka's numbers would drop because he wouldn't be able to torch Zubac anymore.
DG-Luka-Stevens-Mobley-Allen lineup would be deadly
Yeah, yall getting Luka would make your SF problem way less of an issue with his size and playmaking
With Spida on the bench this team is unbeatable. It would suck to give up Cedi though.
Holy shit.
That's the new title favorite, by a lot.
Please, can you imagine the Cavs with an all-time great small forward?
Facts Brother
Damn, you beat me to it
Give it two years and Mitchell will be your third best player
I kinda think your best player is Mobley tbh. He just doesn’t get the attention yet.
Are we sure DG isnt better than Mitchell?
Weird answer but I think it’s the timberwolves by far
This is probably it. I can't think of another team with piece that fit better that swapping Luka with Kat. Rudy as a lob threat and d, Ant is Ant, DLo will have to be a shooter, but that might work. They would actually be a really good team.
oh totally. gobert ant and luka would be fucking terrifying
who is their best player
I'm biased but Twolves were the first to come to mind for me as well. They're in the sweet spot of having a lot of top end talent where the gap between their #1 and their other best players is relatively small. I think Raptors could also be another good answer.
Not weird at all - taking away kat helps with their problems in the paint, Gobert just has to be a defensive anchor and catch passes from an elite PG, and Anthony Edwards gets more space to work b/c of Lukas gravity. DLo gets traded for a couple role players
Actually see this as well… I said Jazz in my post but this may be the right answer considered both the offensive and defensive talent that would surround him.
Pain
Dlo has been so awful for the timberwolves. I feel like it’s 100% the wolves. Kat gobert ant and jmac are all even great individual pairings with luka
Not saying we would be the best...
Mavs. Just have Luka start playing like shit on purpose so that the best player is Dinwiddie or someone. Then pull the trigger on this scenario and boom, two Lukas!
Infinite Luka Glitch (100% EFFECTIVENESS)
Double Dirks!
Tuka Doncic
This has me curious on what a permanent off-ball Luka would look?
Insert infinite money trollface comic here
You are arrested. You are way ahead of this humanity. Calm down sir.
Luka would be a terrible fit with Luka though
And then the alternate universe Mavs with two Dinwiddies gets Wembanyama! It's win-win!
Luka in a Mavs jersey? I just can't see it. Anyone good at photoshop?
this is some pro gamer move right here
Have Luka play like shit but make sure everyone above him is equal then replace them all with Luka.
Stick win every time.
Luka was too good too quickly. Didn't give the Mavs a chance to get players
NBA GMs hate this trick
Does Kawhi count for the Clippers? Luka next to PG? 70+ games being very likely for Luka with that deep of a team.
Narrator: Kawhi did not, in fact, count.
How do you know he's your best player if he doesn't play
Nah, this is a hypothetical involving players. Well you gotta play to be a player.
Only if I get to count Kyrie as our best player because he sometimes goes nuts on offense.
Pretty sure Clippers would be damn good with Luka in the Kawhi slot.
This might be the answer, hadnt thought about it. Clips or Celtics probably.
That team would be unstoppable. Especially because Luka play and kawhi dosent.
Came here to say this
I did some “research” on 2K franchise mode with this scenario few months ago, can confirm it’s a good time.
Came here to say this. Easy answer.
toronto raptors are what I've settled on. they are a fast-break team, with great defenders but poor half-court creation, which is what Luka thrives at. bring in Luka for Siakam, and potentially play a lineup of Luka-FVV-Scottie-OG- Koloko. I can see that team losing in six to Celtics/bucks in the playoffs semis, maybe even seven.
Don’t think they have enough shooting tbh.
As much potential as I think Koloko has, you're gonna have serious problems if an uncoordinated rookie who averages 4 ppg is your starting center.
the raptors have some DAWGS. defensive savants, with excellent structure and culture.
how aboutr the clippers? luka instead of kawhi
I feel like Luka-Smart-Brown-Grant-Horford would be much better. You have Brogdon/White/Robert to throw in there as well.
He would be a good fit swapped for James Bucket on the Heat.
Him and herro would get cooked on defense
Nah you need Jimmy, he would push everyone to be and get better.
Don’t think so, we’re suddenly cooked on D and also the whole identity of the team is Jimmy.
The Heat would have to give up Adebayo
Clippers. Luka, Powell, PG, Morris, Zubac. Gives Luka a clear #2 and a bunch of long 3&D guys.
You'd have to drop PG, not Kawhi.
the Mavs (in theory) already have a bunch of 3&Ds too
Assuming Kat is Minnesota's best player, then them
Yet if you replace Ant or Gobert it doesn't improve them nearly as much. Is KAT really their best player in that case?
Kings
Idk why this isn’t upvoted more, this would be amazing
how much beam can we get
Sabonis is better than Fox
Is there that much disparity between Fox and Sabonis? I don't doubt Fox is better but by how much?
If only there was ever a way that the Kings could have gotten Luka over the mavericks…
Which team is now the best or which team benefits the most? Because those have different answers.
Which team is now the best.
Literally says the best like 3 times
New Orleans
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Hawks and Grizzlies.
hawks would be better, however we have shitty shooting so it wouldn’t work out too well
Luka with JJJ and Bane would be really interesting
Hawks is a reasonable answer but it's gotta hurt their fans to think they're one of the only teams who directly chose their current fate over getting Luka. I'm not a Suns fan with delusional copium pretending Ayton is a "better fit", it's insane when Suns or Hawks fans pretend they didn't fuck up that draft.
Hawks fans won’t like this
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I was just thinking about this the other day, it's got to be the Raptors. The length, athleticism, shooting and defense, and back-up ball handling. It would be insane fun as well.
Luka for zion. Luka would have BI, cj and a bunch of 3 and d guys.
That's a contender right there
Clippers in West (kwahi for Luka) Raptors in East (Siakam for Luka)
Kawhi ain’t their best player.
Cavs
Thought of them too. The upgrade isnt that huge but the team is in a great spot but if you replace Mitchell with Luka its unstoppable because they now have size with Garland and not just 2 small guys
Wolves = a good answer. I think dropping KAT and adding Luka would help both Ant and Gobert too. Not anything against KAT, the roster is just a weird fit right now.
If you put Luka on the Celtics, as much as I love Tatum, it would give a little variation since Tatum/Brown play such a similar game.
Celtics shooting + Lukas play making would be broken,
Not sure I agree, the Celtics offense is very un-heliocentric ball. Luka would have to play off-ball a ton, which doesn't maximize his skillset.
it's an interesting thought. they're already putting up the most pts/100 possessions ever so does adding Luka move that needle enough to make up for the hit their defense would take? I think you get a bump in O and drop in D for a net zero which I guess would still keep them at the top of the NBA right now
Yeah the answer is Boston
Lakers with Westbrook
Lebron and Luka would be so fun to watch, just from a spectacle perspective
Who says no? /s
Canada’s team. Losing Siakam would hurt, but FVV wouldnt be as much of an issue with Luka in the lineup.
Tbh surprised at the lack of Suns here. Booker is amazing, but the three best teams in the league are the Celtics, Bucks, and Suns, and the Suns are the only ones to clearly upgrade with this swap. It would make so much sense too.
It hurts because we could've had him AND Booker. Would've been an all-time backcourt duo
Actually, I’ve been assured that CP3 is our best player. We’ll trade him and run Luka-Booker-Mikal-Johnson-Ayton.
Booker is too vital to the team. They would be good but I think there are better fits with better overall talent. It would be an upgrade but not a big one, especially since cp3 when healthy is our floor general. He wouldn't be very useful off ball
I think it's the Pelicans. Not sure if Zion or BI is their consensus best player, but the rest of their team has shooting, length, defense, and crafty scoring guards that can take some of the load like Brunson did. They would be title contenders without a doubt.
Minny right? No matter if you're considering ANT or KAT their top guy, move either one and you solve considerable problems that team has by turning them into Luka.
The Celtics are probably the best team in the league right now and Luka is better than Tatum. Luka with the amount of shooting the Celtics have would be absurd.
Jaylen Brown is the most ideal #2 to Luka other than maybe a healthy Middleton. I mean a true #2 and not an elite #1 big like Embiid or Giannis
Something that might spoil that is how much Boston relies on Tatum being such a beast at both ends of the floor. Luka's better offensively, but he's a huge downgrade from Tatum on defense.
Tatum is a much better defender. The gap on offense isn't as big as the gap on D
I think that Luka is the better player but also this team already has a bunch of guards so I think Tatum fits better.
I guess this shows a lot of fans don’t see the Clippers as a threat, but just think about swapping Kawhi/PG for Luka on that team. Their Achilles heel has been not having someone to really orchestrate the offense efficiently since pairing Kawhi and PG. Luka would work well with either of them and they are a very deep team with all types of roleplayers.
Clippers achilles heel is health.
Its probably the Celtics just because they have been so far above the pack. Luka might not make them better than they currently are but they still would probably be better than any other team with luka replacing the best player
I think it depends on how they play. Luka doesn’t fit into the Celtics offense at all the way Tatum does, plus they’re a team that likes to run. Not saying that luka is better (hard to say), but luka can’t do what Tatum does on defense or off the ball
Utah.
Nah, LAURI LEGEND DOESNT LEAVE ANYWHERE THIS YEAR.
If Luka replaced Steph last year...not sure if the Warriors still win the finals or not.
Celtics are probably the answer. Too much shooting and defense around him for anyone to hang. Plus he fills their biggest hole (playmaking)
their biggest weakness is defense
yo this is a stupid take, celtics domt have a weakness at playmaking, they share the ball well and are top 5 in the league in assists, meanwhile luka ball has made the mavs dead last in assists. the celtics get worse if the swap tatum for luka straight up
Celtic fans big mad in this thread but its true 🤣
He plays real slow so it has to be a team like when harden was with houston a team of shooters that r rdy to shoot when they get the ball and thinking about it he prlly wont win a chip like this just like harden he doesnt make his teammates better chuck was right about he has to play faster and more off the ball
Well the CURRENT best player in Portland is grant, and when dame comes back him and luka would be unstoppable
Clips or celtics nd underrated raptors
The Raptors + a halfcourt offense would be great
Bulls? Lavine is a mile and a half behind luka and since it’s hypothetical we can assume lonzo is back. Lonzo, Luka, Demar, P will, Vuc is something I’d love to see.
That team does not touch cavs, Celtics, pacers, kings, timberwolves, or any number of other teams with Luka lmao. Bulls roster is so bleh
Demar has been the best player for the past year and I’d rather see Luka-Lavine anyway
Except you’re giving up DeRozen
Luka, CJ, Ingram/Zion, JV, and whomever else you want is probably winning the title.
Okc. Luka needs young guys who are energetic, can dribble, hustle, dive, attack the rim, shoot for him. If he doesnt have those then whichever team he is on will just end up being what the mavs are now
Raps, Heat, Celtics, Cavs, or the popular answer Wolves
Might sound biased but Toronto Raptors lol
It’s crazy that I can only think of 2 teams (maybe 3) that get worse. Bucks, Celtics, maybe Nuggets? The crazier thing is that the answer to the question is still the Celtics either way, because even if they get slightly worse because of the loss on D, they would still be the best team in the league.
Warriors would be far worse.
Luka , Murray , hunter , Collins , capela. Omfg what coulda been :(
The whole replacing Tatum with Luka take is ridiculous (not just the answers in this thread but the general mindset); they’re two totally different players, and Luka wouldn’t be utilized the same way on the Celtics. The lack of defense would be an issue as well. Furthermore strange take to replace one elite talent with another on a team that’s already in first and has a finals appearance…
They’d still be the best team in this scenario. The question isn’t what team would improve the most, it’s what team would be the best.
Yeah agreed. It's weird because I think they are better offensively with Luka but Tatum brings defense, like... a lot of defense. The Celtics need a 2 way superstar like Tatum more than they need Luka.
Love the downvotes lol. Sure replace Tatum for Luka on a team that’s already dominant, makes a ton of sense especially in a system where Luka wouldn’t have the ball in hands 100% of the time and Tatum’s defensive impact is highly valued.
Cavs
Cleveland, Atlanta, New Orleans, or Memphis. Teams where the star is not a nearly as huge of a star and would remain sound defensively.
Give up siakam get luka
How about warriors?
Let’s pretend BI > Zion for one second so we can imagine Luka to Zion lobs 😳
Luka for siakim swap on the raptors would be solid.
It might be the celtics, but honestly I think they're still a better team with Tatum.
You have to choose a team that is currently really solid with no superb type of best player. The more balanced the better.
Miami? If you consider Butler the best player and able to keep Bam.
I don’t think he would make any team the best if you swapped their best player. He is pretty good but all the top teams would be worse with Luka. If you swapped with 76ers, Warriors, Celtics or Bucks they would all be worse with Luka.
Heat. Or timberwolves.
Hornets when healthy and not in jail is an interesting choice Miles makes a good running mate for Luka Terry and Hayward become elite 3-4th options And a bunch of scoring wings off the bench.
Cleveland. Donnovan mitchel 4 luka
The bucks would suffer without brook lopez but I'm sure we can figure out the luka giannis combo.
Love how this turned into people arguing who the best player on each team is
The Cavs. Replacing Mitchell. It would be game over for the league.
KAT
Y'all are high af right now lol. Tatum for Luka is at best a sideways move. The C's league history best offense does not need any help and Luka would be mercilessly hunted on defense here. Swapping team ball for 40% usage Luka ball would piss off everyone, especially Jaylen.
fr. Luka would be a big wet Slovenian blanket on their chemistry.
Good take.
Yeah, individually I think Luka is better than Tatum but Tatum is a better fit for the Celtics with his off ball play and elite defense.
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I disagree, the Celtics offense is already awesome, so Luka doesn't help their offense much, and Tatum is a much better defender than Luka. Swapping Luka for Tatum is a at best a marginal offensive upgrade and a clear defensive decline. The Celtics are one of the few teams that get worse by swapping Luka for their best player.
Celtics would be worse. Luka’s a major weakness on defense
i like the celtics roster the most. i think they’re the deepest team
Why has no one mentioned Luka and Embiid?
I've said it a bunch of times already.
The Lakers, LeBron + AD + Luka would be crazy
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Siakam?
Milwaukee.
It is hard to imagine a Curry-less Warriors, but damn, you put Luka in that system with Klay and Poole shooting, Dray and Wiggins defending, that team is a problem.
then you're missing Curry's D
Celtics are better than everyone and replacing Tatum with Luka keeps them at the same strength. So they’d still be the best. This is a pretty dumb question tbh. The actual question should be who benefits the most. Celtics would not benefit that much at all. Bucks would be a negative. Jazz or Wolves are a massive positive.
Celtics get significantly better
Yeah don’t get this take… I understand ranking Luka above Tatum as an individual player but the play style is so different and the Celtics have already proven to win with Tatum as the lead. I don’t think Luka over Tatum changes that much; if anything they’d probably be similar.
The Celtics offense is already awesome, so there isn't much they can do to improve on that end by swapping Luka for Tatum while that trade is a clear defensive downgrade.
don't know if we beat the Nets or Bucks last year with Luka over Tatum
Probably the Celtics
Memphis
-Ja +Luka gets that team no where
Toronto
Rockets and if they would got 7++ french kid also that would be a fun decade.
Love JT but the Celtics with Luka wins back to back chips.
They said it above that the Timberwolves are probably the answer. Only other i could think of:
Clippers
I'm surprised no one has said Phoenix. They have great defense and shooting, Ayton would be great in the p&r with Luka, and we've always wanted to see an nba dad play on the same team as their kids.
Ruthless. Take an upvote
Boston (no question)
Probably for Lauri in Jazz
Switch him with Tatum and Boston wins the chip.
Warriors!