76ers Don’t Care Much About Nets’ Blockbuster Trade With Mavs

Members of the Philadelphia 76ers weren’t too worried about what the Brooklyn Nets did on Sunday afternoon. That didn't come as a surprise, considering they had more things to worry about before and after six o’clock, as they faced the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden for the second time this season.

But it was worth a shot for some reporters to try and gauge whether the idea of an All-Star starter leaving the Atlantic Division makes any impact on rival players or not.

Catching up with the two coaches from Sunday night’s game roughly an hour after the trade between the Brooklyn Nets and the Dallas Mavericks, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau re-directed any Nets-related questions to the rival organization.

“You know, I think that would probably be a Nets question,” Thibodeau joked.

Doc Rivers offered a bit more on the subject, but he clearly didn’t do much of a deep dive on it for obvious reasons.

“I don’t really know, honestly,” said Rivers. “They told me when I was getting on the bus, and I said, ‘Wow, that’s interesting.’ Obviously, Kyrie is an amazing basketball player, and you’re putting him with another amazing basketball player we’ll see how that works, and we’ll see if it’s good for the Nets. I really don’t know, so we’ll wait and see.”

After the Sixers and the Knicks battled it out on Sunday, a game that resulted in a New York comeback win, multiple players were asked about their thoughts on the situation.

“It’s a trade that happened,” said Sixers guard James Harden, who played for the Nets just last season.

“That trade — nobody on the Sixers got traded today — so I don’t care about that,” said Sixers veteran forward Tobias Harris.

Around the NBA, the deal was a blockbuster that caused a lot of noise. After days of speculation about where Irving might end up after he requested a trade for the second time in a year’s span, the star guard was dealt to the Mavericks along with his veteran teammate, Markieff Morris.

Meanwhile, the Nets received Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2029 second-round pick.

The trade could definitely have some impact on the Nets, who are in the Eastern Conference’s top four along with the Sixers at the moment. But fresh off a loss to the Knicks, the Sixers are currently focused on re-grouping and getting ready for the Boston Celtics. They’ll then worry about Brooklyn when they pay a visit there next weekend.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.