Like many, Bill Simmons has been trying to comprehend the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. With the lack of a logical explanation, the Sports Guy has turned to one of his favorite hobbies: conspiracy theories.
On Monday’s episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons analyzed the deal with The Ringer’s Kirk Goldsberry, marking the ex-ESPN columnist’s second podcast in as many days focused on the trade. Prompted by Goldsberry to share his favorite conspiracy theory about the shocking move, Simmons discussed the possibility that this could signal the Mavericks relocating from Dallas to Las Vegas. “I love this one: that the [NBA] owners have always desired a Vegas team, and their ultimate goal is to flip franchises, moving Dallas to Vegas to capitalize on the casino scene,” Simmons explained. “The expansion team that was slated for Vegas would be the Dallas team. They’d pay whatever. The first step in this plan would be to damage the Mavericks’ relationship with their fans by trading Luka Dončić. And honestly, I have no notes. That’s one of the best conspiracy theories I’ve ever heard.”
Goldsberry, who resides in Austin, added fuel to the fire by noting that Texas has yet to legalize gambling, which poses potential problems for the Mavericks’ owners, the Adelson family. They built their wealth in Las Vegas casinos and seemingly acquired the team with the expectation of expanding their influence into Texas. “One more layer to that one is like gambling in Texas may or may not happen, right?” Goldsberry stated. “Probably not happening,” Simmons interjected. “For those who don’t know, this family made its money in Vegas,” Goldsberry continued. “They are a casino family. So that’s a good one.”
Although the idea of such a conspiracy theory becoming reality is far-fetched, Simmons and Goldsberry point out that Mark Cuban’s decision to sell the Mavericks in 2023 has never quite made sense. While there’s a considerable difference between making sense of the sale and suggesting that it’s part of a wider conspiracy to turn fans against the franchise, the mere fact that such a theory is being discussed on one of the world’s most popular podcasts underscores just how shocking the Dončić trade was.
