Los Angeles—The Brooklyn Nets have reached a deal to trade Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks days after the controversial star guard requested a trade, US media reported Sunday.
The Athletic reported that the Nets will get Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and multiple draft picks in the exchange.
Irving had been linked to several clubs, including the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, after the bombshell announcement of his request to be traded before the February 9 trade deadline.
Irving reportedly asked for a move after failing to agree to a contract extension. The Nets had opted not to offer him a fully guaranteed maximum contract before the season and The Athletic reported that the Nets had offered him a contract with “guarantee stipulations” that was “not well received.”
ESPN reported that talks between the Nets and Mavs “accelerated” on Sunday.
The trade would bring Dinwiddie back to Brooklyn, where he played for five seasons before a knee ligament injury early in the 2020-21 campaign.
Irving, who won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, is averaging more than 27 points, five rebounds and seven assists per game this season, carrying the load offensively for Brooklyn since a knee injury sidelined Kevin Durant.
Irving’s four seasons in Brooklyn have included controversy. He missed dozens of games last season due to his refusal to be vaccinated for Covid-19.
This season he was suspended for eight games after a social media post referencing a film that contained anti-Semitic themes and initially refusing to apologize.
In all, Irving has played less than 150 games over the last four seasons.
However, there is no doubt his skills could complement those of Dallas star Luka Doncic, who is averaging 33.4 points per game but is putting in massive minutes as he carries the offensive weight for the team.
At 28-26 the Mavericks are sixth in the Western Conference standings after a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, which Doncic missed because of a bruised heel. AFP
