Mechanics & Motivation Behind Mavs' Kyrie Irving Trade Pursuit
The Dallas Mavericks are among the top teams linked to Kyrie Irving after his request to be traded by the Brooklyn Nets. Other teams that have been prominently mentioned include the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.
The latest details from Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes suggest that Irving's side did not negotiate after the Nets presented an offer that tied compensation to winning a championship. Irving reportedly won't stay even if he was offered a full max contract, prompting his trade request. He is eligible to sign a four-year, $201.7 million deal.
The Nets could drag this situation out until the offseason and favor not acquiring unfavorable contracts since it would be in Irving's best interest to remain a reliable participant ahead of his impending free agency. Brooklyn was unwilling to take on bad contracts in its first round of canvassing trades for Irving.
Before delving into the mechanics of what a possible trade for Irving could look like involving the Mavs, it's essential to dive into the motivation for making a move. Dallas clearly needs more dynamic talent to pair with Luka Doncic. The means for finding a co-star are limited, requiring the use of risk-taking measures in an attempt to find a solution. Is Irving the right risk? There are two prominent members of the Mavs organization such as former Nike executive Nico Harrison and coach Jason Kidd, that have relationships with Irving.
Irving may be an expiring contract, but it's important to note that the trade deadline has increasingly become about doing free agency work early. With Irving seeking a max contract, the idea is to land with the team that will use Bird rights to sign him long-term. Whichever team acquires him at the midseason deadline will have an advantage in re-signing him. Obtaining Bird rights as a team operating over the salary cap is especially important.
It would be challenging to agree on a contract extension with Irving at the time of trade since he is limited to signing a two-year, $78.6 million extension. Such a deal appears unlikely to be a long enough contract to pique Irving's interest. If he wants to wait to sign a four-year extension, the team acquiring him must play out the rest of the season, trusting they can get a deal done in the summer. That's risky and would reflect as such in the type of return the Nets could receive.
With the Nets needing to balance staying competitive with Durant after trading Irving, it would be challenging not to take back some veteran players who can make an instant impact. When considering the value of player contracts, our NBA sources indicate that Spencer Dinwiddie would be the most straightforward option for Brooklyn to take back from the Mavs.
With Dinwiddie only earning $20.1 million compared to Irving's $36.5 million, the Mavs would need to include more in a trade package. Our NBA sources expect Tim Hardaway Jr., Davis Bertans, and JaVale McGee to be viewed as negatively valued contracts. With Maxi Kleber ineligible to be traded, the next most favored option would be Dorian Finney-Smith.
Ultimately, if the Nets had their way, the two main contracts being sent by the Mavs in an Irving trade would surely be Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith. Would that nucleus be enough to acquire Irving? That would depend on how aggressively other teams pursue him. Meanwhile, Dallas would surely prefer if Brooklyn took one of Hardaway or Bertans, likely requiring the inclusion of draft capital to facilitate such a scenario.
If the Mavs were to send out Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith as the core of a trade, perhaps they could include Dwight Powell's $11.0 million expiring salary while taking back a player like Patty Mills. The Nets would sustain minimal damage to their cap space as they navigate salvaging their situation with Durant. In other versions, the more bad salaries added by Dallas would need to come with draft compensation.
With any risky transaction comes the possibility of the downside becoming realized. If Irving didn't work out, the Mavs would still be stuck with bad contracts, only their future first-round picks, and a limited array of young talent. Dallas would have minimal means to replace Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith, along with anything else that would be given up.
Much of the Mavs' motivation behind making a midseason trade would need to hinge on their belief to contend for a title in an open Western Conference landscape after adding Irving.
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