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The Dallas Mavericks made quite the splash on Sunday, when they acquired Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets. The Mavs gave up Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, second-round picks in 2027 and 2029, in exchange for Markieff Morris and Irving, who had reportedly submitted a trade request just two days prior, on February 3.
As the dust settles from the blockbuster deal, it sounds like the Mavs may not been done shaking things up. According to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News, Dallas has been looking to offload Tim Hardaway Jr.
“Dallas has discussed options to move Tim Hardaway Jr., multiple people familiar with the Mavericks’ approach pre-Irving said,” Caplan explained.
She went on to detail Dallas’ thought process regarding the $75 million man.
“Though he can boost the offense when in a shooting rhythm, Hardaway’s contract is viewed as a long-term investment that doesn’t justify his streaky high-volume production while limiting the Mavericks’ future financial flexibility,” Caplan wrote.
On February 6, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey wrote an article about the how the Irving blockbuster has impacted the trade market.
He touched on several rumors and reports, including Caplan’s report of the Mavs shopping the scoring wing.
“The Mavs now need versatility and perimeter defense more than they need THJ’s occasionally potent outside shooting,” Bailey wrote.
He continued, pinpointing a few issues with a potential move.
“The problem, of course, is that Hardaway Jr.’s inconsistency and contract (which will pay him $17.9 million next season and $16.2 million the year after) aren’t exactly secrets around the league,” Bailey detailed. So, even if Dallas wants to move him, getting a helpful player back is far from guaranteed.”
Kyrie Irving ‘Ecstatic’ About Trade to Mavericks
While the Mavs continue to shape their roster on the fly, their newest star seems pretty happy about being dealt to Dallas.
According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the eight-time All-Star is “ecstatic” about the trade to the Mavs, and is “looking forward” to joining forces with Luka Doncic.
Irving won’t have to wait long to suit up for his new squad, either. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnorwski, the 30-year-old will debut for the Mavericks on February 8 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Woj also reported that Dallas’ front office ran the idea by Doncic, the team’s star building block, before pulling the trigger.
“The Mavericks also ran the deal for Irving past All-NBA star Luka Doncic, who gave it a nod, a source told ESPN, he wrote. “The Mavs can now wait to see how the rest of the season goes before deciding on a new deal for Irving.”
Irving Sends Final Statement to Nets After Mavericks Trade
Once the trade sending the eight-time All-Star to the Mavs became official, he took to Twitter to post a final message to the Nets and their fans.
“Thank you NetsWorld fans and supporters for the Love on and off the court,” Irving tweeted. “I will forever be grateful I got to live out my dream I had as a Kid with y’all. It will always be Love from me and my family.”
Prior to asking out of Brooklyn, Irving appeared in 40 of the team’s 52 games this season. He averaged 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds, while shooting 48.6% from the field, and 37.4% from deep.
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