Brooklyn Nets trading all-star point guard Kyrie Irving to Dallas Mavericks: reports

Schuyler Dixon · The Associated Press

· Posted: Feb 05, 2023 3:55 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 hour ago

Kyrie Irving is getting his wish. He’s getting traded.

And Luka Doncic is getting another all-star to help him in Dallas.

The Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets agreed Sunday on a blockbuster trade: Irving — the super-talented and often-enigmatic eight-time all-star point guard — heads to Dallas, ending the pairing with Kevin Durant that never really had a chance to click.

The Nets get Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and a package of draft picks, according to a person familiar with the terms of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been finalized. Dallas also gets Markieff Morris.

The Athletic and ESPN first reported the trade agreement. It will become complete once the teams have a call with the NBA, which is standard for all trades.

It was not immediately clear when Irving would make his debut with Dallas. The Mavericks play at Utah on Monday night. ESPN reported that Irving would take a physical in Dallas on Monday with a plan to join the team for a game Wednesday at the Los Angeles Clippers.

“My first reaction was it seemed like a really good move,” Toronto coach Nick Nurse said Sunday before the Raptors faced Memphis. “[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.”

The trade does again pair Irving with Dallas general manager Nico Harrison, who was a Nike executive before taking over the Mavericks in 2021.

Irving had a relationship with Nike for the entirety of his NBA career until earlier this season, when the sneaker giant dropped him — and cancelled the planned release of his next signature shoe just before it dropped — as part of the massive fallout from Irving posting a link to an antisemitic film on his Twitter account.

Drama-filled sagas

That was one of many drama-filled sagas that marked Irving’s time with the Nets. He wouldn’t get vaccinated against COVID-19 and, because of New York City workplace rules, had to miss most of Brooklyn’s home games last season. He also took two leaves of absence during the 2020-21 season.

He has also expressed no shortage of controversial opinions during his career — including repeated questioning whether the Earth was round before eventually apologizing to science teachers.

After the Nets lost to Dallas at home in overtime in October, Irving said he saw traits of the Mavericks being “a great team.” And he spoke at length of how highly he thinks of Doncic’s game, after the Mavs star had a 41-point, 14-rebound, 11-assist masterpiece.

“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,” Irving said that night. “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.”