The Kyrie Irving saga ends in Brooklyn, just days after his trade demands left the NBA world in a frenzy. Many questioned the timing of Irving's request, but both sides were unable to reach agreeable terms for a long-term deal. This sheds a light on the fractured relationship between Irving and Nets Owner Joe Tsai. Earlier this season, Irving received an eight-game suspension for promoting a movie with antisemitic material.
Following the suspension, the Nets Owner asked Irving to complete remedial demands before returning to the court. This left Irving and Tsai in some turmoil. The fact that the two sides have ethical disagreements regarding the contract extension presented some friction between them. The Nets presented an offer that included guaranteed stipulations tied to the team winning a championship, league sources told Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. The stipulation around the Nets' offer, has left many questions around the NBA. Why does a player like Irving have such terms in a multi-year contract?
According to the Brooklyn Netcast, the details around the contract extension included that if Irving won a championship, he would be paid x amount of dollars. This is where Irving felt signs of disrespect from Owner Joe Tsai. Irving's camp believed that a player of his caliber should not have such stipulations in a multi-year contract. The line was crossed for Irving who states that principle differences were the demise of the Nets partnership.
“The desire is to make Brooklyn home, which means the ball is in the Nets Court to communicate if their desire is the same.” - Shetellia Riley-Irving
On Sunday, the Brooklyn Nets announced trading Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN. The Mavericks sent forward Dorian Finey-Smith, and Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029-first round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Nets for Irving and Markieff Morris, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns made subsequent offers to the Brooklyn Nets. However, The Mavericks' packages came with three draft picks and players that can fit into the line-up now. The Nets are now planned with a task to surround a talented roster around their franchise superstar KD.
The Nets will utilize their draft picks acquired from the Nets-Mavs trade to engage in trade talks with the hopes of reconstructing their roster before the Feb.9 deadline. Irving will join his new backcourt partner, Luka Doncic. The two combine for the highest-scoring duo in the NBA (60.5 PPG) and will pose an offensive threat to their opponents. The Mavericks made it a priority to provide superstar-level talent around their franchise, Luka Doncic. With days before the deadline, the Mavericks are hopeful that adding Irving to their roster puts them back in contention. Irving is expected to arrive in Dallas on Monday to take his physical and will make his Mavericks debut at LA Clippers on Wednesday, league sources say.
The Kyrie-Nets era officially comes to an end. Irving who’s in the final year of his deal will earn $38.9 million. He is seeking a long-term contract, in the ballpark of $198.5 million max extension over four years. According to ESPN, a league source said that Irving is eligible to sign a two-year, $83 million extension with the Mavericks. Despite the off-court distractions, Kyrie Irving has shown while remaining on the court this season that he's a max-level superstar. Irving is one of eight players averaging 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists this season, and the leading vote-getter amongst guards for the all-star game. Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists this season.