How the Dallas Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving

DALLAS — For weeks leading up to February, those around the Mavericks knew something had to happen. And maybe it was the backbreaking 119-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors — the Mavericks' sixth loss in 10 games — that finally pushed Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and team owner Mark Cuban to push all […]

Ian Kayanja

Feb 5, 2023 4:20 PM EST

DALLAS — For weeks leading up to February, those around the Mavericks knew something had to happen.

And maybe it was the backbreaking 119-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors — the Mavericks' sixth loss in 10 games — that finally pushed Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and team owner Mark Cuban to push all their chips into the table. Either way, Dallas traded for disgruntled Nets star Kyrie Irving on Sunday. With Irving, Dallas brings a second star alongside Luka Doncic and Christian Wood in an attempt to turn around what has been a disappointing 2022-23 season.

The trade between Brooklyn and Dallas was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Nets are trading Kyrie Irving to the Mavericks, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2023

In the deal, Dallas sent away Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick, and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Nets in exchange for Irving and Markieff Morris, according to the report.

How the Dallas Mavericks got here

The deal was rumored for days. Talks between the Nets and the Mavericks on Sunday morning pushed the deal forward.

Dallas was bidding against the Lakers. It's clear the Nets liked Dallas' package of assets, according to the report. Also contributing to the deal was the relationship between Irving and Harrison.

"Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has a long history with Irving, going back to their Nike days together," the report reads. "Dallas coach Jason Kidd was also a proponent of the trade, with the Mavericks adding a second star next to Luka Doncic."

It was known Dallas needed to make a move if it wanted to compete. The team had stagnated and was too reliant on Doncic to be great every night in order to secure wins. Adding Irving gives Doncic a co-star. But also, the trade shows Dallas' star that the organization is more than willing to sacrifice a theoretical future to win now.

As for Irving's contract situation, it's been reported that the team is going to put off extension talks until the summer, according toTim MacMahon. Irving is eligible for a two-year extension now and a four-year deal in the summer. However, if things don't go well, Dallas will hold close to max cap space.