DALLAS — The Kyrie Irving saga in Brooklyn took another turn on Friday as the All-Star went public with a trade request, with the Mavericks reportedly among the teams expected to explore a deal with the Nets.
Reports of Irving’s desire to be traded were soon followed by multiple reports connecting Dallas to him. On a special edition of the Locked On Mavericks podcast, hosts Nick Angstadt and Isaac Harris explained why the need to find a second star player next to Luka Doncic makes a deal worth exploring.
“You’ve gotta be able to find a star for Luka, and stars don’t just become available,” Angstadt said. “And Kyrie is very available. It would not take a lot to go get Kyrie Irving.”
Irving’s ongoing standoff with the Nets is centered on his hope for a long-term contract extension from the franchise, and as of now he is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the season. The possibility that he changes teams this summer limits what Brooklyn could reasonably get back in a trade.
“If (the Nets) look at it and say … ‘we’re one of the top teams in the East and we want to continue a title chase’ … Christian Wood and Spencer Dinwiddie is a pretty good consolation prize if you’re going to lose Kyrie for nothing this summer,” Harris said.
Of course, the Mavs’ plans at the NBA trade deadline are colored by Doncic’s reported interest in Dallas being aggressive, and the need to finally find a bona fide co-star for the soon-to-be 24-year-old MVP candidate. Irving would fit the bill.