BREAKING NEWS: Kyrie Irving heads to Dallas in blockbuster trade as he joins forces with fellow All-Star Luka Doncic, while Brooklyn Nets get Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith more picks
Kyrie Irving has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks, ending his controversial tenure with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets get Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and multiple second-round picks for Irving, according to Atlético. Markieff Morris is also heading to Dallas.
The move sees Irving join forces with Luka Doncic. The Mavericks play next Monday night against the Utah Jazz. Irving missed the Nets’ game Saturday night against the Wizards because of a sore right calf.
The Lakers were also tied to the Irving move, but according to ESPN, the Nets preferred the package offered by Dallas. The picks the Nets get in the deal are a 2029 unprotected first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick and a 2029 second-round pick.
Irving also has history with Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who previously worked at Nike, and Dallas is said to be eager to bring in another big name to partner with MVP candidate Doncic.
Kyrie Irving heads to the Dallas Mavericks for the remainder of the current season
Irving had been linked with the Lakers, but the 30-year-old is now heading to Dallas.
Move sees Irving partner with Dallas star and MVP candidate Luke Doncic for Mavericks
Irving’s current contract runs through the end of the season, when Dallas can decide whether to enter negotiations to extend the deal.
The Athletic reported Friday that members of the Mavericks’ front office weren’t sure if Irving and Doncic were a good fit long-term because of their different character traits.
Irving came to the Nets from the Boston Celtics in 2019. He only played 74 times with Kevin Durant, who came to Brooklyn from
Earlier on Sunday, news broke that Irving was prepared to sit out the rest of the season with the Nets if they refused to trade him before Thursday’s deadline.
Irving had a difficult time in Brooklyn, beginning with his refusal to receive the Covid-19 vaccine during the 2020-21 season, forcing him to leave the lineup for home games until New York Mayor Eric Adams modified the laws of the city.
The most recent controversy surrounding Irving and the networks came earlier this season when he faced backlash for tweeting a link to an ‘anti-Semitic’ film.
Irving initially refused to apologize or back down over the tweet before Brooklyn suspended him for eight games and eventually apologized for sharing the 2018 documentary, which was based on a book described as “venomously anti-Semitic.”
The saga also cost Irving his contract with Nike: they canceled plans to launch his ‘Kyrie 8’ show.
Irving, who was selected as a starter for the 2023 All-Star Game, is averaging 27.1 points and 5.3 assists in 40 games this season and recently led the team to a six-game or 30-plus point streak before it was snapped against the Lakers on Monday night.
Irving leaves Brooklyn Nets after controversial tenure at Barclays Center
Irving’s move brings his association with Kevin Durant on the Nets to an end.
Spencer Dinwiddie returns to Brooklyn from Dallas as part of Irving deal
The Nets are fourth in the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-20 record and play next Monday night against the Clippers at Barclays Center.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks are sixth in the Western Conference with a 28-26 record.
Meanwhile, Dinwiddie, 29, returns to the Nets after five years in Brooklyn from 2016 to 2021, when he left for the Washington Wizards.
