The Brooklyn Nets shipped off beleaguered All-Star guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks Sunday afternoon for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected 1st-round 2029 pick, and two future 2nd-round picks.
Irving demanded to be traded on Thursday. Nets General Manager Sean Marks wasted little time sending Irving to Dallas, ending a tumultuous 2.5 years with 135 missed games due to various maladies, self-imposed timeouts, and a 2022 eight-game suspension for “harmful impact from his conduct” over some social media posts surrounding an anti-semitic movie.
Kyrie Irving Brooklyn Nets Timeline
- June 19, 2019: Irving signs a 4-year / $136,490,600 contract with the Brooklyn Nets, including $136,490,600 guaranteed.
- February 2020 Irving opts for season-ending shoulder surgery after playing 20 games during the 2019-2020 season
- Training camp 2021: Irving refuses to get vaccinated and, as a result, is ineligible to play home games at Barclay Center. Marks sent Irving home, referring to him as a part-time player but changed his mind allowing Irving to rejoin the Nets for home games in early December
- November 2022: Irving is suspended for eight games by the Nets for “harmful impact from his conduct”.
- February 2023: Irving requests a trade and two days later is traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and three future draft picks.
Nets Recieve Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith
Dinwiddie spent five seasons with the Nets before being traded to Washington Wizards as part of the deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers. Dinwiddie averaged 17.7 points with 5.3 assists per contest, knocking down 40% of his 6.4 triple attempts per night.
Finney-Smith has spent his entire six-year career with the Mavericks and has been in and out of the lineup this season with some minor injuries. Finney-Smith is a better-than-average perimeter defender knocking down 35% of his triple attempts and averaging 9.7 points with nearly five caroms and a steal.
Can the Brooklyn Nets Win the NBA Atlantic Division?
No, the Brooklyn Nets won’t win the NBA Atlantic Division.
Kevin Durant has been out with a knee injury, but before the January 8 incident, the slim reaper was having an MVP season. He could return to the lineup as soon as this week, but Brooklyn is 4.5 games behind Atlantic leader Boston and it’s unlikely the Nets can overtake the Celtics.
Can the Brooklyn Nets win the Eastern Conference Championship?
Yes, the Brooklyn Nets can win the Eastern Conference Championship.
There are hints that Marks might not be done making deals, and Brooklyn has some draft capital available to them. The Nets need a true point guard, and if they can deal for one, Brooklyn might have enough of a roster alongside Durant to make a real run for the Conference title.
Brooklyn is +700 (DraftKings) to win the Eastern Conference, and the additions of Finney-Smith and Dinwiddie improve the Nets’ defense. If Marks makes another impactful move, +700 will feel like a steal if Brooklyn indeed wins the Eastern Conference title.
Can the Brooklyn Nets Win the NBA Championship?
No, the Brooklyn Nets won’t win the NBA Championship.
Brooklyn is staring at some long odds (+2000), and even if they do get out of the East, they won’t have any gas left in the tank to defeat possible Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets (+700), Los Angeles Clippers (+800) and Dallas (+1500).
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