This past Sunday, The Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks made the major trade of Kyrie Irving, who’s now heading to Dallas.
This weekend Kyrie Irving was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks. The Nets have also acquired Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith for their team, according to an individual who spoke to the Associated Press.
ESPN was one of the first networks to announce the trade, which will become official once the teams have a call with the NBA; a traditional next step in all trades.
Irving stated last week that he told the Nets he wanted to be traded by the NBA’s deadline, which was last Thursday. Irving stated his contract with the Nets was not to his liking, and wasn’t present at the team’s game on Saturday. Irving tweeted Monday morning to thank the fans he gained throughout his time with the Nets.
“Thank you NetsWorld fans and supporters for the love on and off the court. I will forever be grateful I got to live out my dream I had as a kid with y’all. It will always be love from me and my family.”
ESPN reported that Irving will be taking a physical in Dallas on Monday with the intent of joining the Mavericks for their game on Wednesday. The Mavericks are also set to play in Utah Monday night.
“My first reaction was that it seemed like a really good move. The Nets got a lot of assets back for a guy who wasn’t going to be back, it seemed. I think that’s important to do. And I think for Dallas, they got a big-time star to go with the one they’ve got,” stated Toronto coach Nick Nurse.
Luka Doncic is one of the all-stars in Dallas, who is currently averaging 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists, while Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season, according to the AP. The two are projected to become one of the NBA’s top duos. Irving previously spoke about how “highly” he thinks of Doncic’s game.
“I think first, we’ve got to discuss just how long he’s been playing professional basketball. I think it’s been since like 14, 15 years old. He’s used to seeing so many different defenses, so many different roles that he’s played, I’m sure, overseas. And now that he’s in the NBA, you just see him. He plays at an incredible pace. He makes great decisions.”
For now, Irving is scheduled to become a free agent after the season. Irving previously had a relationship with Nike for the majority of his NBA career, which was canceled after the brand had a falling out with the basketball player after Irving posted a link to an anti-semetic film from his Twitter account.
Irving is no stranger to controversy, however, as he refused to get vaccinated against Covid-19, which caused him to miss most of Brooklyn’s home games last season due to New York’s workplace rules regarding vaccination.
His various controversies have limited him to playing 143 games throughout 3 seasons with the Nets. After the Nets lost to Dallas in October, Irving stated his interest in the Mavericks, calling them a “great team,” and praising Doncic’s game.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
