NBA Trades: Analyzing B/R’s Kyrie Irving for Kristaps Porzingis trade
By Dalton Sell
NBA Trades: Would the Dallas Mavericks possibly make this trade for Kyrie Irving and Day’Ron Sharpe?
There have been rumors about the Mavericks potentially wanting to move on from Kristaps Porzingis for the past several months. Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported back in February that the team was gauging trade interest for Porzingis.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban denied the rumors in an interview with NBA.com, but who knows where things truly stand. If they were to consider moving on from Porzingis, this deal involving Irving would undoubtedly be a feasible one to entertain.
First and foremost, as noted by Swartz, there is no vaccine mandate in Dallas that would prevent Irving from playing like he currently faces in Brooklyn. Irving would bring another star to Dallas, as he has averaged 27 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.4 steals over the past two seasons in Brooklyn.
Following consecutive first-round exits in the postseason, the Mavericks could benefit from shaking things up, and adding a seven-time All-Star in Irving to improve their title chances.
It would be interesting to see how Irving would fit alongside a budding superstar in Luka Dončić, who is having another solid season. One common talking point for Dallas has been adding a piece that can alleviate some of the ball-handling duties away from Dončić at times, which is exactly what Irving could do. He is one of the best point guards in the game today and would form a lethal duo in the backcourt alongside Dončić that would be a nightmare for opposing defenses.
Obviously, Irving is the big prize in the deal, but Sharpe would provide some frontcourt depth. The rookie has played scarcely for the Nets this season, but at just 20-years-old, he has time to grow and develop into something special down the line. Perhaps the Mavericks would give him a chance to shine in the Porzingis-less rotation.
Losing both Kristaps Porzingis and Brunson would be tough, but Kyrie Irving would help add another layer of star power to this Dallas team. At fourth place in the Western Conference with a 10-7 record, a trade of this magnitude could help them climb in the standings.