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The Brooklyn Nets (31-20) got things started on what was expected to be an exciting trade deadline a little early shipping out mercurial star guard Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks. Irving and the Nets had reached an impasse on a new contract with the player bristling specifically at some language that tied guarantees in the final year of his offered deal to winning a championship.
Irving was said to be seeking a four-year max extension worth $198 million per ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
He now would have to settle for a two-year, $78 million extension before the summer.
Things have happened so fast that not all of the dust has settled yet, though Irving is said to be “ecstatic” about the move, per Yahoo! Sports NBA insider Chris Haynes while one of the players coming back – who happens to be making his return to Brooklyn – spoke for himself.
The Nets are bringing back Spencer Dinwiddie who was traded to the Washington Wizards after Brooklyn acquired James Harden in 2021 before trading him to the Philadelphia 76ers at the 2022 deadline. They were also dealing with luxury tax concerns while Dinwiddie had played just three games the preceding season due to a torn ACL.
Dinwiddie, 29, also sent a message to his former team and city.
“To the [Mavericks fans] like I’ve always said y’all and BKN have made my NBA experience,” Dinwiddie said in a subsequent tweet. “Nothing but immaculate vibes as [former Net and current Maverick Theo Pinson] would say.”
The 6-foot-5 combo guard is averaging 17.7 points on 59.9% true shooting with 5.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds this season. He’s also enjoying a banner year from beyond the arc knocking down 40.5% of his 6.4 looks, both career highs.
fun fact: spencer dinwiddie beat kyrie irving in 1-on-1s 👀
Perhaps most impressive, he did this while playing with a high-usage player like Luka Doncic.
He is in the second year of a three-year, $54 million pact that has him earning $18 million this season and $18.8 million next season before hitting unrestricted free agency. If there is a knock on the outspoken veteran it is that he also comes with an extensive injury history including two torn ACLs, though he has averaged over 65 appearances in the last seven years minus that 2021 season.
Nets Land A Kevin Durant Favorite in Dorian Finney-Smith
Brooklyn also brought in 29-year-old forward Dorian Finney-Smith who Kevin Durant is said to have “a lot of respect” for, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon during an appearance on ‘Brian Windhorst and the Hoop Collective’ on February 3 before the deal for Irving even went down.
Finney-Smith is averaging 9.1 points on 55.75 true shooting with 4.7 boards, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in the first year of a four-year deal that will pay him over $55.5 million and has a $15 million player option in the final season (2026) making him even more of a long-term acquisition than Dinwiddie.
Dorian Finney-Smith got UP to cut the ATL lead to 4!
0:35 remains in Q4 on ESPN 👀
Marc Stein of the Stein Line reported the Nets “would covet” both in a deal and they landed them both for a player that no longer wanted to be with them.
And they might not be done just yet.
Brooklyn Still Cooking Up Trades
The Nets did well to replenish their draft coffers in light of the circumstances by getting back a first-rounder and a pair of seconds (2027 and 2029), even if the former won’t convey until 2029. They very well could have come away with a lot less than what they got.
Packages from the Lakers including both of their coveted first-round picks (2027 and 2029) as well as one from the Phoenix Suns that included Chris Paul were on the table, per Haynes.
However, per Ian Begley of SportsNet New York, Nets general manager Sean Marks is not done.
“The biggest deal of the trade deadline is now complete with Kyrie Irving heading to Dallas”
@IanBegley breaks down the Kyrie Irving trade and what it means for both Irving and the Nets going forward:
With less than a handful of days left until the February 9 trade deadline, expect more fireworks, perhaps even from the Nets as they retool on the fly.
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Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie Reacts to Being Traded For Kyrie Irving