After a short stint on the trade block, a deal for Kyrie Irving has been made. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Nets have traded the disgruntled point guard to the Dallas Mavericks.
The Mavericks will be the fourth team of Irving’s career, after spending the past three and a half seasons as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. He is averaging 27.1 points per game so far this season and will make the 8th All-Star appearance of his career this month.
He joins a Mavericks team that is in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference. Dallas is currently in the 6th seed at the time of writing, though just 2.5 games out of third place. But, it is behind them in the standings where things get concerning. Just two games separate the Mavericks and the Thunder, who are in 12th place. Adding Irving to the mix with Luka Dončić should help Dallas distance themselves from the very compact pack.
Kyrie Irving Traded To Dallas Mavericks In Exchange For Players, Picks
As for the compensation, the Nets will reportedly receive a package of Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick, and two second round picks. The two players were starters for the Mavericks, and average a combined 28 points per game. Irving will take over the role of point guard, and they’ll have to move a rotation guy in to replace Finney-Smith, or make another move before the deadline.
As for the Nets, they seemingly get weaker in an Eastern Conference that is a battle in of itself. Brooklyn currently sits as the fourth seed with a 32-20 record, though they have a stronger hold on their position than Dallas does. But they have been without Kevin Durant for almost a month now, and without the firepower of their two superstars, the Nets could find themselves floundering in coming weeks with a weakened roster.
The trade ends the saga of Durant and Irving together in Brooklyn. There was nothing but turmoil during their time with the Nets, through coaching changes and the trade of James Harden. The future of the franchise is very much in the air, though Durant is signed through the next four years.
The NBA trade deadline is this Thursday, February 9th at 3PM Eastern.
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