Candace Parker on Inside the NBA Photo Credit: TNT

Since news broke of the blockbuster trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks that saw Luka Dončić traded to Los Angeles out of the blue, media members have tried tirelessly to justify why the deal was made by Mavericks GM Nico Harrison. And on Tuesday, former WNBA star turned NBA on TNT analyst Candace Parker explained why players around the NBA should be worried following the deal.

On paper, the Mavericks trading their 25-year-old perennial All-NBA superstar in the middle of his prime is a decision that is hard to justify on any level.

While reports have emerged that Dončić’s weight was a concern for the Mavericks, the popular theory from most media members is that there has to be a deeper reasoning behind the decision.

One factor, which Parker brought up on Inside the NBA on Tuesday ahead of the Celtics-Cavaliers matchup on TNT, is that perhaps the biggest factor in the Mavericks making this move may be due to the organization wanting to avoid paying Dončić a supermax deal. Teams can exceed the normal max contract based on certain players’ history with the franchise, and that meant that Dončić was in line to get the NBA’s largest contract with the Mavericks, but now can’t make quite as much immediately. And Parker wondered if that entered the team’s thinking.

“I think one thing that we aren’t talking about $117 million that Luka is losing not being able to sign a supermax deal,” said Parker. “Which I think is in question now moving forward with guys. Is this a way for ownership to get out of the supermax contract? And is this going to be something in discussion for the players in the CBA? Because he has met every single part of what he is supposed to. First-Team All-NBA, one of three players to average 28-7-7, almost averaged a triple-double last year. He has done everything as a player. And now he can’t sign the supermax.”

Parker certainly raises a good point. Prior to being traded, Donćić was eligible for a supermax deal that would have been worth $345 million over five years with the Mavericks. Now that he is no longer eligible for the supermax, he is now only eligible to receive a five-year $229 million deal from the Lakers.

The Designated Veteran Player Extension, otherwise known as a supermax deal, was initially implemented in the 2017 collective bargaining agreement to allow smaller-market teams to keep their star players by being able to pay homegrown talent entering their second contract significantly more than other teams.

Supermax contracts have always been thought of as an overwhelming positive for players. But maybe this is an instance of how organizations can avoid paying the supermax contract and still get value back for a top-tier talent.

Regardless, you have to feel for Dončić in this situation considering it was reported that he did not request a trade. So the money that Dončić will now be missing out on in this next contract is through no fault of his own.

If the majority of players see this move by the Mavericks as largely a financially motivated one, the regulations regarding who does and does not qualify for supermax contracts may certainly be something that the NBPA pushes to change in the next collective bargaining agreement. But unfortunately for Donćic, any potential change would come far after it makes any difference for him, as the next CBA will not go into effect until after the 2029-30 season.

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.