Breaking: NBA insider reveals that the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets discussed a trade centred around Kyrie Irving and Kristaps Porzingis.
According to a report written by Ian Begley of “Sportsnet New York”, he reveals that the Dallas Mavericks were among teams interested in trading for Kyrie Irving. While it’s unknown if a trade was expanded to just Irving and Porzingis, the Mavericks have shown interest in the former champion.
Before the season started, Irving expressed strong opinions about receiving the vaccination. Despite some feeling optimistic about Irving suiting up for the Nets this season, Brooklyn has made it clear to Irving that he will be unable to play basketball unless he receives the vaccination. This has resulted in the Nets revealing that they would be open to trading away Irving for the right price. According to a report written by Sam Quinn of “CBC Sports”, he revealed that the Nets are open to trading away Irving.
While some organizations like the Philadelphia 76ers have already attempted to trade for Irving, the Mavericks have yet to be mentioned. Dallas has made many changes to their coaching staff this season, and as a result, they have been a solid team in the Western Conference with a record of 14-13 as the seventh seed. However, their average start to the season is not good enough considering that they have one of the best players in the NBA in Luka Doncic.
The duo of Doncic and Porzingis has been underwhelming as they have only accomplished a first-round appearance in the playoffs. When Porzingis was infamously traded to the Mavericks in 2019, Dallas possessed one of the most exciting young duos in Doncic and Porzingis. Fast forward to 2021, and the duo has had chemistry issues as teammates and has, at times, looked awkward on the court together. It became so apparent that in the 2021 off-season, Porzingis asked to be traded but later revoked his request after the Mavericks decided to fire their head coach in Rick Carlile.
While the duo of Porzingis and Doncic has looked promising this season, the Mavericks are still an average team in the Western Conference. As good as Doncic is in the NBA, he still needs significant help to make it far into the playoffs. With this recent news of the Mavericks interest in Irving, Dallas has a chance at upgrading their roster offensively. In contrast, the Nets would finally have a legitimate All-Star calibre center in Porzingis.
Despite no real offer revealed, the Mavericks would not have to trade a lot for Irving due to his refusal of the vaccination. Due to certain organizations exercising a mandatory vaccination to even enter the arena, Irving would be unable to suit up for a good portion of games, making his trade value significantly lower than what it usually would be. Suppose if the Mavericks meet the Golden State Warriors in the first round? Irving would be unable to play in the away games if that were to happen. This makes it very difficult for any team to trade for Irving, as he would be stripped away from playing many games in a season.
Closing thoughts
The Mavericks having an interest in Irving is intriguing as they would form one of the best, if not the best, backcourt in the NBA. The idea of Doncic and Irving as teammates would serve as one of the most entertaining teams to watch. However, trading for Irving, who refuses to receive the vaccine, is not worth an organization to invest in as he would be unable to play numerous games in a season. Trading for Irving makes the Brooklyn Nets a better team as they attain a player who could play meaningful minutes.
Even though Porzingis and Doncic have not panned out into the elite young duo most were hoping for, the Mavericks should not consider this trade. Irving is one of the best players in the NBA when healthy but is also a complicated player to manage. If the Mavericks are interested in moving on from the Porzingis and Doncic duo, trading for Irving is not the answer, as they would not be getting an entire season of Irving regardless of injuries. Unless Irving receives the vaccine, his trade value will be low across the NBA.
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