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After three-plus years of doing nothing but perpetuating dysfunction, the Brooklyn Nets finally decided they’ve had enough of Kyrie Irving.
Following his latest trade request, the Nets shipped Irving to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029
According to reports, while the Los Angeles Lakers were in contention for Irving, Nets owner Joe Tsai refused to send him there because it’s where he wanted to go.
Latest report from @TheSteinLine confirms that one of Joe Tsai’s presumed objectives in a Kyrie trade was to not send him to his preferred landing spot: the Lakers
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) February 6, 2023
Reports from various NBA insiders such as Marc Stein indicate that the Lakers offered the Nets a package of Westbrook and two first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 for Irving.
While Tsai’s pettiness may not be in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets, it’s certainly difficult to blame the guy for wanting to stick it to Kyrie after what he’s done to the franchise in recent years.
Now with his fourth team since the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted him as the #1 overall pick in the 2011 draft, the 30-year-old Irving will now be teaming up with future MVP winner Luka Doncic.
Following Irving’s trade to the Mavericks, LeBron James — who was clearly desperate for Kyrie to make his way to the Lakers in an effort to reinvigorate their title chances — took to Twitter to react to the news and wondered if he’s actually the problem with the Lakers.
At the time of the trade, the Nets sit in fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-20 record, while the Mavericks are currently sixth with a 28-26 record. Reports indicate that Irving will make his debut for the Mark Cuban-owned team against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, February 8.
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