The NBA filled the void left by the absence of NFL football on the Sunday before the Super Bowl, as the Brooklyn Nets traded Kyrie Irving just days after he requested that the organization find him a new home. He’s on his way to the Dallas Mavericks, where he’ll join forces with one of the league’s leading MVP candidates, Luka Doncic. In exchange, the Nets will receive solid role players in Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie, along with draft compensation.
The trade raises questions as to the future of both franchises, since both have the ability to continue making moves to potentially bolster (or in the Nets case, possibly rebuild) their rosters. Here’s a look at the specifics of the trade, along with some winners and losers.
Mavericks receive:
Nets receive:
- Spencer Dinwiddie
- Dorian Finney-Smith
- 2029 first-round pick
- 2027 second-round pick
- 2029 second-round pick
Winner: Kyrie Irving
Say what you will about Kyrie Irving (and there’s plenty to say), but the man tends to get what he wants. Asked out of Cleveland, went to an Eastern Conference contender. Wanted to play with his friend KD, signed with Brooklyn. Didn’t want to get the vaccine despite local mandates, team let him play in road games.
Now, just days after requesting a trade from the Nets due to what he viewed as an untenable contract situation, he’s off to Dallas to play with one of the game’s transcendent superstars in Luka Doncic. And while there’s no guarantee that the Mavericks will offer Irving a long-term contract, it’s hard to believe they would have traded away those assets for a two-month rental. He’s likely going to receive the financial assurance he failed to get from Brooklyn.
It’s no wonder that Irving continues to act the way he does. It just keeps working.
Durant signed with a Brooklyn Nets franchise expected to contend for titles as soon as he recovered from Achilles surgery. When James Harden joined Durant and Irving early in the 2020-21 season, they were projected to be the best offense in league history and became Eastern Conference favorites. Instead they’ve offered nothing but disappointment due to injury, dissatisfaction and internal dynamics. The KD-Kyrie era in Brooklyn is over, with the duo suiting up for only 74 games together and winning just one playoff series.
What was meant to become the superteam of all superteams was an abject failure, and leaves us wondering what could have been. Now…
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