There was a real quiet ahead of the NBA trade deadline until All-Star starter, Kyrie Irving, requested to be traded from the Brooklyn Nets. Contract talks had fractured between the two sides, with the Nets not being willing to guarantee the compensation in their offer fully.
Irving was not on the initial injury report Friday. He missed his third game of the season due to injury, excluding the eight games he was sidelined for in November due to suspension. Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds this season. It was clear that his time with the organization was over, and a trade would come before Feb. 9.
The trade did come as he was sent to the Dallas Mavericks along with Markieff Morris in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and multiple second-round picks.
Irving is in the final year of a deal that pays him $36.9 million. He has been seeking an extension that could max out at $198.5 million for four years until June 30. After being traded, Irving can sign a two-year, $78.6 million extension with his new team until the new league year, when he will be eligible to sign the four-year deal he desires.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving & Dallas Mavericks Updates
The Mavericks are now 0-7 in games that Luka Doncic doesn’t play this NBA season following their 119-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Following Jalen Brunson’s departure, they are in significant need of acquiring a co-star. It’s no surprise they are in the mix to acquire All-Star starter Kyrie Irving ahead of the February 9th trade deadline.
The on-court fit should be tremendous between Irving and Doncic. Both players command heavy attention with the basketball in their hands, creating major advantages for the rest of the unit. Irving is a prolific catch-and-shoot threat and clutch-time closer in addition to being an elite isolation scorer and pick-and-roll ball handler.
Irving can be deployed in various off-ball actions due to his motion shooting ability and ability to attack the paint and use a floater or short-range jumper. His combination of skills in that regard is very rare. He can also be used as a ball screen with Doncic and vice versa. Opposing teams have to be intentional about matchups, which could cause nightmares for a defense.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving & Dallas Mavericks Updates
By acquiring Irving at the trade deadline, the Mavericks will have his Bird rights if he reaches free agency, which enables them to exceed the salary cap to re-sign him. If he chose to depart, some scenarios would require Dallas’ cooperation on a sign-and-trade, including if he were to try to join a team over the salary cap.
A sign-and-trade wouldn’t be needed if that team cleared the necessary space to sign him outright. That is what happened with the Knicks creating space for Brunson by making salary dump trades. Most contenders would require massive trade gymnastics and assets to pull off such a sequence of moves to clear space to sign Irving outright.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving & Dallas Mavericks Updates
In the meantime, the Mavericks are all-in on contending for a championship in a wide-open Western Conference. They will look to make more moves ahead of the trade deadline but will be limited in being able to send out their 2027 first-round pick or future swaps due to the protections placed on the 2023 selection they owe to the New York Knicks. The Mavericks remain a team to watch as they aim to fill a supporting cast around Doncic and Irving.
Some other teams in the mix for Irving include the Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, and Phoenix Suns. Given the Mavericks’ aggressive move, it’s reasonable to expect those Western Conference rivals to push to improve their roster as well.
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