3 Instant Reactions After Kyrie Irving's Reported Trade to Mavericks from Nets
The Dallas Mavericks have reshaped the 2022-23 NBA season after acquiring Kyrie Irving in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, per Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes.
Brooklyn will acquire Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and multiple second-round picks in return for the All-Star point guard and Markieff Morris.
The blockbuster deal could completely reshape two franchises, while making a significant impact on the 2023 title race. Here is an instant reaction after the latest trade.
Mavs Finally Give Luka Dončić Some Help
Luka Dončić has been one of the best players in the NBA this season while averaging 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. His 8.3 win shares ranks second in the league behind only two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokić.
He has still only helped the Mavericks to a 28-26 record entering Sunday, good for sixth in the Western Conference. The squad is just 7-10 since the start of January and lost to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday despite Stephen Curry leaving in the third quarter with a leg injury.
Even though Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals last year, few considered Dallas to be a legitimate title contender this season.
That changes in an instant with the addition of Irving, as reflected in the sportsbooks:
The Mavericks now have two players who can take over a game and carry the squad to a win, while Christian Wood and Tim Hardaway Jr. can provide valuable support offensively. It could create a nightmare for opponents to defend in the postseason.
Irving already has experience winning a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he's appeared in 74 playoff games, 13 in the NBA Finals. It could provide a huge boost for a Mavericks team looking to take the next step toward contention.
Dallas has tried to find Dončić a reliable running mate for the past several years, including Wood and Kristaps Porziņģis, but the squad has fallen short. Jalen Brunson left in free agency after playing a key role in the postseason last year.
The latest move gives Dončić his most talented teammate of his career.
Nets Don't Need to Tear Things Down...Yet
Trading away Irving could create some tough decisions for the Nets going forward.
They thought they had a Big Three with Kyrie, Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons, but one is gone, one is hurt and one is a shell of his former self.
With Durant already requesting a trade last offseason, it wouldn't be surprising to see him try to leave again now that his friend and top teammate is off the roster. On the other hand, Brooklyn might as well see what it has with its new team.
The Nets got the players they wanted with this trade, as Marc Stein noted:
ESPN's Tim MacMahon previously reported Durant was a fan of Finney-Smith.
The organization is also well familiar with Dinwiddie, who spent parts of five seasons with Brooklyn and averaged 20.6 points per game for the team in 2019-20.
Perhaps most importantly, Cam Thomas exploded for 44 points in Saturday's win over the Washington Wizards and is averaging 28.0 points over his last three games. The 21-year-old could be a key player for the team going forward now that he has more of an opportunity to shine.
When Durant returns from his knee injury, there should be more than enough offense to compete with anyone in the NBA. Nic Claxton and Finney-Smith will be a big part of the defensive efforts.
Losing Irving will certainly hurt on the court, but there could also be some addition by subtraction by removing a major distraction in the locker room.
It's enough for the Nets to try to compete with the current roster this season and see what they can do.
If Brooklyn struggles, the team can easily rebuild in the offseason by dealing away Durant and Finney-Smith while building around Claxton, Thomas and the new draft picks.
Drama Still Isn't Over for Kyrie
The trade request only started after Irving and the Nets were unable to work out a contract extension, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Those issues could remain with Irving reportedly seeking a four-year, $198.5 million maximum extension, per Wojnarowski. Without a new contract, Irving could look elsewhere in free agency and leave the Mavericks with nothing.
Dallas, like any other team, will understandably be cautious about handing out a long-term deal for Irving.
The 30-year-old is a star on the court, but he was also limited to just 29 games last season after refusing to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Earlier this season, he was suspended eight games by the Nets after failing to disavow antisemitism after he posted about an antisemitic movie on his social media.
Injuries also limited him to just 20 games in 2019-20 and kept him off the court during multiple playoff runs with the Boston Celtics.
For all his talent, it's difficult to trust Irving to remain on the court. Even Claxton admitted the Nets players were "caught off guard" by his trade request on Friday.
The Mavericks must know what to expect with their latest addition.
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