LOL. You have zero idea how the world works, my friend, and about the same for history.
It's all money and power and corruption.
How did the Lakers acquire Will Chamberlain from Minnesota? Jabbar from Milwaukee? How did they secure the pick that led to drafting Magic? Or manage to secure Kobe from Charlotte? Every one of these deals was a complete joke for the small market team and a godsend for the mighty big city Lakers.
Clue.Less.
This deal was likely planned for many months, including Doncic conveniently missing most every game...and fake narratives about how the Mavs were unhappy w/him. Big money gets routed in all kinds of interesting ways and I'm sure the Mavs ownership got MASSIVE undisclosed money to make this happen.
Everyone is suddenly an NBA expert. LOL
Darth is spot on. Just a dumb GM move if anything, not collusion. Money, power and corruption? LOL. Well… maybe money and fame because most players probably want to play in the LA Market on a legendary team like the Lakers, while the Hollywood famous cheer them on. What Jerry still thinks he has with the Cowboys.
Kareem demanded the Bucks trade him and would only accept NYC or LA. As a devout Muslim and a 7’ black guy in white Wisconsin he felt he did not belong. He wanted diversity and culture. Huge jazz fan and couldn’t even find a radio station in Milwaukee that played his music. The Knicks could have had him, LA got there faster.
Kobe was a 13th draft pick. Same as Kawhi Leonard who the Spurs realized had unlimited potential as the 14th pick and traded to the Pacers to grab him first. Easy to say the Hornets should have known on Kobe after the fact but these were the years when high school players were coming out left and right, and for every Kobe, you had several duds who were drafted much higher. Charlotte also got a solid starting center in Vlade.
Magic became a Laker because back In the day a protected draft pick trade did not exist and NBA free agency required a team to give up a draft pick to the team they signed the player from. The Jazz knew what they were doing and probably didn’t bank on it being the #1 overall draft pick. Give the Lakers credit too because not everyone was sold on a tall PG.
And here’s another thing that ruins your theory. The Lakers once tried to get CP3 on the team in his prime but were shut down by the NBA who owned the other team.