With the NBA trade deadline coming up on Thursday, teams are making last-minute roster changes to make a run at the playoffs. One blockbuster trade that went down Sunday was superstar point guard Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets going to the Dallas Mavericks. The full trade details are:

Mavericks receive:

• Irving
• Forward Markieff Morris

Nets Receive:

• Guard Spencer Dinwiddie 
• Forward Dorian Finney-Smith
• 2027 2nd round pick
• 2029 1st round pick
• 2029 2nd round pick

Irving will now team up with three-time All-Star Luka Doncic, forming one of the most formidable backcourts in the Western Conference. 

But Irving also leaves the Nets after a series of controversies. Throughout the 2021-22 season, Irving  refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which resulted in him not being able to play in any home games for the season.  That was largely why the team finished with a measly 44-38 record that was seventh in the Eastern Conference. They were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics. 

The drama surrounding Irving has continued this season. In November, the Nets suspended him for five games without pay for promoting an antisemitic film on social media and not apologizing for it. Nike also cut its endorsement deals with him. Not surprisingly, several Brooklyn-based news outlets released hit pieces on Irving and showed the city’s satisfaction about his departure. Irving’s contract expires at the end of the season, when he will become an unrestricted free agent. If the Mavs can’t prove they’re contenders with this new lineup, then Irving could be one-and-done in Dallas.

What was still unclear when the trade was finalized was the chemistry between Irving and Doncic. Can they co-exist on the court? Both are point guards and therefore playmakers, so the dynamic of trading the ball in situations is a must if these two are going to work together. If you ask me, I don’t think it will work. Doncic leads the league in number of possessions and time of possessions. Irving will need to become Dallas’s shooting guard if this is going to work. I find it very unlikely that Irving will be able to adjust because his driving and ball handling skills fit the point guard role better. The Mavericks are currently sixth in the West. I can see them climbing a few spots due to injuries that have hurt the Suns (5) and the Clippers (4), but this team’s playoff chances ride solely on the compatibility of these two stars.

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