Past, present, future: What we learned from Kyrie Irving’s post-trade statements

The past few days have been a whirlwind for the NBA world. And though fans saw what was coming from ten miles away, they still get aftershocks of the Kyrie Irving trade after the initial blow on Sunday.

Irving is officially part of the Dallas Mavericks. If it hasn’t yet, just let that sink in. He is expected to debut with his new team on Wednesday against the LA Clippers.

Irving joined the Mavericks’ practice on Tuesday and appeared to be in jovial spirits. Dressed in the Mavs’ traditional blue color, Irving spoke to the media, clearing out the dust and providing everybody with the closure they so desperately lust over.

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His statements, as expected, revealed what we didn’t know and confirmed or denied what we thought we did. Nevertheless, it was telling of Irving’s past, present and future situations. Here is what we learned.

The past: Burning bridges from Brooklyn

Well, that was just an utter disaster, wasn’t it? After over three years, the Brooklyn Nets experiment centered around Irving and Kevin Durant has officially flatlined. Now regarded by many as one of, if not the biggest disappointment in NBA history, Irving is moving on from what has been the Error 404 of basketball.

The relationship did not end on the best terms. However, Irving sounded off about how his former team is in a better place upon his departure. “I left them in fourth place,” Irving said. “I did what I was supposed to do. I took care of my teammates, was incredibly selfless.” From an outsider’s point of view, Irving hit the bullseye with this statement– that’s if we base it on his last stretch with the Nets.

The trade came as a surprise because he was starting to warm up on and off the floor with his teammates. With Durant out due to injury, Irving elevated himself as a leader. It looked like all the times he held the Nets hostage with his personal problems was water under the bridge. But the bones were too big to bury, and the odor kept lurking leading up to his exit.

“There were times when I was in Brooklyn where I felt disrespected,” Irving said. “I worked extremely hard at what I do. No one talks about my work ethic though. Everyone talks about what I’m doing off the floor. So I just wanted to change the narrative, write my own story.”

As for his relationship with Durant, Irving said, “we still remain brothers. It is a business at the end of the day.” In today’s generation, people whisper about achievements and preach about mistakes. Though the team was performing well, Irving’s demons worked twice as hard to catch him. A clean slate seemed like the obvious solution.

“I want to be at peace every time I come into work,” Irving said. “Rather than things hanging over my head or wondering what people think about me in the building.”

The present: Irving joins forces with Luka and the Mavs

“Super excited and grateful for the opportunity,” Irving said about being in Dallas. “Really feel wanted and I know they had to give up some pieces for me to get here so I don’t take that for granted.”

While the Los Angeles Lakers and the LA Clippers were both in the running to land the 30-year-old, Dallas emerged and won the auction. “It’s been nothing but warm embrace and genuine love,” he said about his first 48 hours in his new home.

The biggest question immediately circled around how well Irving would work with Luka Doncic. On paper, they could be the best backcourt in the NBA. However, chemistry doesn’t happen overnight and people have alluded to the fact that both are ball-dominant. But Irving showed his ability to be effective off the ball with LeBron James in Cleveland and when James Harden was in Brooklyn– at least before that went in shambles. Doncic does not display the toxicity that Harden has, and hopefully, that purifies Irving.

“This is Luka’s team and will be Luka’s team,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “We understand what comes with this. But let’s have fun. We had fun last year. We want Kai to be Kai.”

Irving is filling in the gap left by Jalen Brunson who found his way to the New York Knicks in the offseason. With Doncic and Brunson, the Mavericks found themselves in the Western Conference Finals where they lost to the Golden State Warriors. With a player of Irving’s caliber, the ceiling gets extended for Dallas, who have definitely boosted their chances of winning the wide-open west.

“There’s no pressure (to be the leader) here,” Irving said. “Nothing’s forced with me and him (Doncic). I just want to play basketball and enjoy his talent, enjoy my teammates’ talent, and work towards a championship.”

The future: how long is Irving’s lease with Dallas?

Irving’s search for a team where he is “celebrated, not just tolerated” begins here. And whether or not his time in Dallas is a short sublet or a long-term lease will all depend on how he impacts the team for the second half of the season.

Having Irving on your team comes with a lot of weight, so his signing with Dallas should be viewed as a trial-and-error process. If it works, this would definitely be magical to see based on how talented Irving and Doncic are. But if it doesn’t, I do not know what will.

Irving said he is not rushing to negotiate an extension with the Mavericks. Instead of committing to the unknown, Irving is choosing to ride it out, play basketball and see where things go.

“You stay patient and I’m gonna let those pieces lay where they are,” Irving said. “The business aspect of this is ruthless. So I don’t want to be distracted.”