Kyrie Irving’s rocky tenure with the Brooklyn Nets ended Sunday when the veteran guard was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, according to multiple reports.
Irving requested to be traded Friday, ending his superstar partnership with Kevin Durant. He now will form a new dynamic duo with Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
The Nets will receive guard Spencer Dinwiddie, forward Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 unprotected first-round draft pick, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2029 second-round picks, according to The Athletic. The Mavericks also will receive forward Markieff Morris in the deal.
The Nets already had decided to keep Irving on the bench until they were able work out a trade before Thursday’s deadline, Bleacher Report said Sunday.
After reports emerged Friday that Irving had requested a trade, he didn’t play Saturday night in Brooklyn’s 125-123 win against the Washington Wizards. The team listed calf soreness on the injury report as the reason for his absence.
The Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers also were believed to be in the running to acquire Irving, an eight-time All-Star who teamed with LeBron James to bring an NBA title to Cleveland with the Cavaliers in 2016.
The Nets signed Irving on July 6, 2019, to a four-year deal, hoping he and Durant could deliver an NBA championship to Brooklyn. But in the 278 regular-season games the Nets have played since his acquisition, Irving has played in just 143 of them because of injuries, suspensions and his decision not to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Irving, 30, averaged 27.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game for the Nets this season. He was named to two All-Star teams while playing with the Nets — 2020-21 and this season.
Dinwiddie, 29, averaged 17.7 points and 5.3 assists per game for the Mavericks this season, while Finney-Smith, 29, averaged 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds. Morris, 33, averaged 3.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.6 minutes per game for the Nets.
Irving is in the final year of his contract and was seeking an extension that is in the neighborhood of four years, $198.5 million, ESPN reported. It wasn’t immediately clear Sunday whether the Mavericks and Irving had worked out an extension before the trade.
Now in his 12th NBA season, Irving was the No. 1 pick of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers, and he played in Cleveland until joining the Boston Celtics for two seasons in 2017.
Irving could be available for the Mavericks as early as Monday’s road game against the Utah Jazz. The Mavs also play a road game against the Clippers on Wednesday before a pair of games at Sacramento Friday and Saturday.
–Field Level Media
