Kyrie is a Maverick
Kyrie does what he wants and gets what he wants.
Last week, news arose of Kyrie Irving’s desire to depart from the Brooklyn Nets.
He told them that if they didn’t offer him a long-term deal, then he would leave the team in free agency.
However, Brooklyn was hesitant in giving him something long-term because of all the off-court drama that surrounds him -drama that causes him to miss time on the hardwood.
So, Irving requested to be traded… and traded he was.
On Sunday, it was reported that the superstar guard was being traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
The specifics of the deal are:
Brooklyn Gets:
Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2027 second-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick (unprotected), and a 2029 second round-pick.
Dallas Gets:
Kyrie Irving, Markieff Morris.
This trade, on paper, looks to benefit both teams.
Brooklyn gets someone back for Kyrie, instead of just letting him go for nothing in free agency. And Dallas gets a superstar to help out Luka Doncic.
However, the writings on paper aren’t always what they seem. This trade isn’t perfect and there are some questions surrounding it.
Burning Questions Surrounding the Trade
First, will Kyrie and Luka get along? Can their playstyles mesh?
Honestly, I’m not entirely sure as both guys are ball-dominant players.
However, Kyrie has played with other ball-dominant players in the past, such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, and did well.
But can Luka replicate this feat?
He’s never played with any player that can match him, skill-wise, in the NBA (the closest was Jalen Brunson last season). He’s always been the Mavs’ top guy ever since he entered the league.
And I know Luka can make plays. But can he effectively make plays with another ball-dominant superstar standing on the hardwood with him?
Second, will Kyrie stay in Dallas past this season or will he be a one-year rental, like Kawhi Leonard in Toronto?
The main reason why Kyrie wanted to leave the Nets is that the team didn’t offer him a long-term contract.
But will the Dallas Mavericks’ brass be willing to give him a deal he likes?
I don’t think so because, historically, the Mavs have been pretty cheap. They only want to offer one player on their team a super big contract.
That’s why they couldn’t keep Steve Nash back in 2004. They paid Dirk Nowitzki the big money and didn’t want to give Nash what he deserved.
And they couldn’t come to an agreement with Brunson last season, letting him leave to join the New York Knicks, where he’s putting up All-Star-worthy numbers.
So, are they willing to give Uncle Drew big money to keep him around? Or are they going to try to win a title this season and then let him bounce?
Third: Who won the trade?
Brooklyn won the trade because they achieved their goal, which was to get something back for Kyrie.
With Dallas, there’s still too much uncertainty surrounding Kyrie on their team, so I can’t say if it’s a win or not yet.
Final Thoughts
I’m not sure what the outcome of the trade is going to be, but I know for a fact that the Mavericks are going to be really fun to watch.
How would you grade this trade?