Now that the initial shock of Kyrie Irving's trade to the Mavericks has subsided (full details here), the conversation shifts to what happens next in Dallas.
More specifically, how will Irving slot in next to Luka Doncic? The Mavs' 23-year-old superstar is an ultra high-usage heliocentric star that's never played alongside anyone as talented with the ball as Irving.
The Mavericks are coming off of a trip to the Western Conference Finals. They had a solid No. 2 next to Doncic in Jalen Brunson, but he left Dallas for New York in free agency. The Mavericks traded for Christian Wood in the hopes of filling in some of Brunson's void, but it's clear Doncic needs more help if they're going to make another deep run.
Is Irving the answer? Let's take a closer look at his fit with Doncic and the Mavericks.
MORE: Full trade details | Trade grades | LeBron's instant reaction
How Kyrie Irving fits with Luka Doncic, Mavericks
On paper, it's hard not to like the addition of Irving.
Since being selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Irving has racked up eight All-Star selections, three All-NBA selections and one championship. He boasts career averages of 23.3 points and 5.7 assists per game on .471/.391/.882 shooting splits.
Irving is one of the smoothest scorers we've ever seen. You'll be hard-pressed to name many players with a better handle, and he's a lights-out shooter off the dribble.
According to NBA.com, Irving has connected on 54.4 percent of his 2-point pull-ups and 36.5 percent of his 3-point pull-ups to this point of the 2022-23 season. That's based on a relatively small sample size of 40 games, but he posted equally absurd splits in 2020-21 when he joined the exclusive 50-40-90 club and made the All-NBA Third Team.
It probably doesn't need to be said, but yo-yo handles and elite shooting make for quite the combination. It gives Irving the ability to beat almost anyone one-on-one and create high percentage looks for himself out of pick-and-rolls.
Oh, and Irving can make shots with a high degree of difficulty.
Irving doesn't get to the basket as much as he once did, but he's still a highly effective finisher.
Irving is an excellent spot-up shooter as well. In his time with the Nets, he connected on 41.3 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts. He's at his best when he has the ball in his hands, but he has experience playing next to other ball-dominant stars such as LeBron James, James Harden and Kevin Durant.
Irving is known for his scoring. He's not an elite passer by any means, but he's a solid one. He's also a capable defender when he wants to be. He's limited on that end of the court because of his size, but he has quick hands.
Put it all together, and it's easy to see Irving and Doncic forming a dynamic duo. Irving has proven that he can thrive alongside a player like Doncic, and him still being in his prime means Doncic won't have to do as much of the heavy lifting.
The Mavericks should have a better shot at surviving the minutes Doncic is on the bench, too. Their offense falls off a cliff when Doncic isn't on the court and they're 0-7 in the games he's missed this season.
MORE: What's next for Lakers after missing out on Kyrie?
Are there any concerns with Mavericks trading for Kyrie Irving?
There sure are, availability being a big one.
In four and a half seasons with the Nets, Irving played in 143 of a possible 278 regular-season games. Many of the games he missed were due to injury, but he was sidelined for most of the 2021-22 season because of a local COVID-19 vaccine mandate that prevented him from being able to play in New York.
Additionally, Irving is on an expiring contract. He will be an unrestricted free agent following the 2022-23 season, allowing him to sign with any team of his choosing. If he and Doncic can't figure it out, he could very easily move on in free agency, making this an expensive rental for the Mavericks.
While Irving is said to be "ecstatic" about the trade, ask Celtics and Nets fans how hard he is to read and how unpredictable he can be. It's impossible to predict how the next few months will play out.
On court, Irving and Doncic have the potential to be nearly unstoppable offensively, but the Mavericks could run into some issues with the two of them defensively. It doesn't help that they had to give up Finney-Smith to get Irving. He was one of few defensive-minded players the Mavericks had on the roster.
Offense hasn't actually been a problem for the Mavericks this season. (They currently rank in the top 10 on that end of the court.) It's on defense where they've struggled the most, falling all the way to 24th in defensive efficiency. With Irving, Doncic and Wood on the same team, the Mavericks are probably going to have to run up the scoreboard to compete with the best of the best.
Kyrie Irving's contract details, career earnings
Irving signed a four-year, $136.5 million contract with the Nets in 2019 that includes a $36.5 million player option for the 2022-23 season that he picked up. Irving will be an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
According to Spotrac, Irving will have made a total of $229.7 million in salary in his career at the end of his current contract.
| 2022-23 | 2023-24 | |
| Kyrie Irving | $36,503,300 | UFA |
Irving has not been promised a new contract by the Mavericks, per NBA insider Marc Stein. He could sign a two-year extension with the Mavericks now, but he'll be eligible for a four-year extension in the offseason. (For what it's worth, Irving was reportedly seeking a four-year, $198.5 million extension with the Nets before the trade).
If Irving walks in free agency, the Mavericks could create over $30 million in cap space.
Here are some of the notable players who will be free agents in the offseason. The group is headlined by Irving, James Harden, Fred VanVleet, Khris Middleton and Draymond Green, and it features the likes of Jerami Grant, Kyle Kuzma and D'Angelo Russell.
