5 Winners and losers of the Kyrie Irving trade

Winner: Brooklyn Nets

It’s hard to look at this trade and think the Nets won it. Brooklyn is trading Irving, an all-star starter and what will likely be the last straw in KD’s inevitable trade request, for a package that doesn’t include anything all that enticing. However, the reality is that the Nets lost on Friday when Irving requested a trade. This deal was simply the aftermath of that decision, and considering the circumstances, it wasn’t a bad return.

Dinwiddie will return to the Nets after leaving them in 2020, playing some of his best basketball throughout his last couple of years. He hasn’t quite been able to fill the void that Jalen Brunson left, but he’s averaging about 18 points and five assists while shooting 45% from the field and 40% from three. Finney-Smith, on the other hand, has had an off-year, averaging only nine points per game on 41% shooting from the field, and 35% from three. Still, he remains an impactful defender on a relatively team-friendly deal at four years and $55 million, and should eventually get out of his slump offensively.

These players will help keep the Nets competitive regardless of whether KD is staying or not, and three picks will help them acquire more win-now help if it still hopes to compete in the East, or it can be used to add young talent if Brooklyn enters rebuilding mode. Either way, this is a good return for a player who clearly wasn’t planning on sticking around.