The tumultuous Kyrie Irving era in Brooklyn finally ended Sunday as the Nets sent the disgruntled star to Dallas Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and multiple picks, according to multiple reports.
The blockbuster trade gives the Mavericks the coveted second star to slot next to Luka Doncic, a huge but risky upgrade from Jalen Brunson, who they lost to the New York Knicks in free agency.
The Nets hope the end of the contentious Irving saga will finally give them stability.
It’s a full-circle moment, albeit not the ending the Nets hoped for, as they are reunited with Dinwiddie, their former player who played a key role in recruiting Irving in the lead-up to the 2019 free agency that also landed them Kevin Durant.
If Dinwiddie can recapture his breakout form during the 2019-20 season when he averaged a career-high 20.6 points and 6.8 assists, it will be a big help to fill the void left by Irving.
Finney-Smith gives the Nets size and versatility. He is expected to reprise his Mavericks role with the Nets as their most dependable wing defender.
The 2027 Mavericks’ first-round pick is a calculated gamble for the Nets. The dream scenario for them to convey that pick into the lottery is for the Doncic-Irving pairing to fizzle out, which could lead the Slovenian star to bolt out of the Mavericks in the near future. Doncic has a player option in the final year of his contract during the 2026-27 season.
Irving represents another risky gamble for the Mavericks, who had already flopped with another former New York star in Kristaps Porzingis.
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