The Dallas Mavericks pulled the trigger on a huge deal ahead of the NBA trade deadline, acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets. They traded Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks to bring the All-Star point guard to Dallas.
There has been a lot of discussion about how Irving will coexist with Luka Doncic. Doncic has never played alongside someone the caliber of Irving, and it will take some time for them to develop chemistry and cohesion with each other.
Both are dominant isolation players that are used to having the ball in their hands often, something that will change a bit working together.
A lot of attention has also been given to how long this relationship could last. Irving is set to be a free agent this offseason and is already facing some questions about where he could end up this summer. But, that isn’t something he wants to discuss, as he politely asked media members to keep the focus on the present with the Dallas Mavericks.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving & Dallas Mavs Updates
“It puts unwarranted distractions on us and our team,” Irving said before taking the floor in his first Mavericks home game. “I’ve dealt with it before, and it’s very emotionally draining to ask questions like, ‘What’s the long term? What’s the long term?'”
Nothing positive can come out of Irving constantly being asked about his future for the Mavericks. If how things went with the Boston Celtics during the 2018-19 season is any indication, it can actually derail a team no matter how positive their outlook may be.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving & Dallas Mavs Updates
Irving, despite some of his transgressions in recent seasons, has grown a lot since his time with the Celtics. He has a better understanding of what it means to be a leader, showing some admiration for the job that LeBron James did when they played with the Cleveland Cavaliers together, something he admittedly not always appreciated.
As part of his request to not be asked about his future, he cited how it could negatively impact the Mavericks. Dallas is currently in fifth place in the Western Conference and any outside distractions that lead to a skid could drop them out of the playoff picture altogether.
“I will say that from the start, from when I came here, there’s been nothing but a warm embrace, nothing but genuine love and nothing but a familiarity of relationships that I can really look to in times of questioning or confusion,” Irving said.
“There’s just a positive note there. I’m just taking it one day at a time. That’s all I can do in this life. What the future holds is really only going to be dictated on what I do right now and how I prepare for those next steps, and that’s being the best teammate that I can be in that locker room and a great leader out here and within the Dallas community and within the NBA. I’ll just continue to be myself.
“So I’m just putting that to bed and just focusing on what we have ahead of us as a team.”
With only 23 games remaining in the regular season, there will certainly be pressure on Irving and Doncic to get on the same page and carry this team into the postseason.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving & Dallas Mavs Updates
The Dallas Mavericks just have to make the dance and then with players as talented as their backcourt duo, anything can happen in the playoffs.
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