NBA
Who did Kyrie Irving get traded for? How good are the players the Nets picked up?
Kyrie Irving is set to team up with Luka Doncic at the Dallas Mavericks after finally getting his wish of a move away from the Brooklyn Nets.
Kyrie Irving got his wish to leave the Brooklyn Nets and will be a member of the Dallas Mavericks, reports said on Sunday.
The Nets agreed to trade Irving to the Mavericks in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith a first-round draft pick and multiple second-round picks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The trade comes two days after Irving reportedly told the Nets he wanted to leave before Thursday’s trade deadline, otherwise he would depart as a free agent in July.
Brooklyn-Dallas deal
Brooklyn reportedly receives:
- Spencer Dinwiddie
- Dorian Finney-Smith
- 2027 second-round pick
- 2029 first-round pick (unprotected)
- 2029 second round-pick
Dallas reportedly receives:
- Kyrie Irving
How good are Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith?
Spencer Dinwiddie will return to the team where he’s seen the most success throughout his career (he spent five years with the Nets from 2016-2021) and will fill some of the offensive void vacated by Irving.
At least in the short term, Dinwiddie’s value should hold in Brooklyn, but the player may also see a downturn in his overall usage once the Nets have both the currently injured Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons back at full strength.
The 29-year-old has played 53 times this season for Dallas averaging 17.7 points per game.
Finney-Smith should settle into a starting role at forward, but will face stiff competition when the injured pair of Kevin Durant and Ben Simmons are available. The small forward is unlikely to serve as much more than a low-usage perimeter shooter on offense who’s capable of chipping in the defensive categories.
The 29-year-old Finney-Smith has been involved in 40 games for the Mavs this season with an average points per game total of 9.1. Brooklyn will be his second NBA team.