The Brooklyn Nets have traded star point guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
In return, the Nets receive former fan favorite Spencer Dinwiddie, plus Dorian Finney-Smith and a 2029 first-round pick. Brooklyn will also receive second-round picks from Dallas.
Irving formally requested a trade from the Nets after both sides couldn’t come to terms on a new contract. He’s averaging 27.1 points and 5.3 assists per game in 40 total games. On top of missing some games with injuries, Irving also served an eight-game suspension after sharing a link to an anti-semitic film.
Now, he heads to Dallas to play alongside former Nets point guard and coach Jason Kidd. Alongside Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving adds to a Mavericks offense that currently ranks 24th in the NBA.
The Nets got a solid return back from Dallas too. Fans will recall Dinwiddie and his scoring prowess during five years with the Nets. He averaged 14.3 points and 5.3 assists for Brooklyn over that stretch and should slot right into Jacque Vaughn’s starting lineup. Dinwiddie is averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 assists this season, and is also shooting a career-best 40.5% from long range.
Finney-Smith won’t add much scoring, but the veteran wing is a good bench piece. He might even draw some starts while Kevin Durant continues recovering from his knee injury.
Speaking of Durant, the Nets should prepare for his own trade request soon. He already asked for one last summer, but his max contract prevented a move. Now that Kyrie Irving is gone and the potential for a media circus/crisis with him, does Durant really have reason to stay in Brooklyn?
For now, though, both sides got what they wanted. It was pretty clear the Nets preferred not to give Kyrie Irving the four-year max deal he wanted. He saw the writing on the wall, asked for a trade, and got his wish.
In the end, everybody wins.
