There isn’t a team with a better record in the Eastern Conference than the Brooklyn Nets, who are 20-8 and are riding a three-game win streak. The team has been led by their NBA superstar duo of Kevin Durant and James Harden while Kyrie Irving has not yet appeared in a single game.
The Nets have managed to get the job done without Kyrie Irving appearing in any of their regular-season games to start the season, who remains sidelined due to his non-compliance with the New York City COVID-19 vaccination mandate.
There has been growing concern of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and while the NBA is reducing the potential timetable for return when testing positive from 10-days to 5-days, Irving still can’t play at Barclays Center, Madison Square Garden, or ScotiaBank Arena.
Despite the troubling trend of positive test results around the league, Irving is in the process of returning as a part-time player to give Brooklyn more depth—even in a limited capacity with only being able to play away games.
It’s also worth mention, SNY’s Ian Begley reported there were some level of talks between the Dallas Mavericks and Nets about a Kyrie Irving trade. The Mavs are reportedly the team that reached out to Brooklyn and Kristaps Porzingis ‘came up in discussion.’
The Dallas Mavericks never managed to add the secondary ball handler the team had sought in free agency. Kyle Lowry was the top priority on the wish-list but his plot to sign with the Miami Heat had already resulted in an agreement well before the legal window to begin negotiating contracts had even begun.
Let’s take a look at an NBA trade scenario that would land Kyrie Irving with the Dallas Mavericks — returning him to NBA action while giving the Brooklyn Nets a few pieces.
Brooklyn Nets Receive: PF Kristaps Porzingis, PG Jalen Brunson
Dallas Mavericks Receive: PG Kyrie Irving, PF Day’Ron Sharpe
This is a rather straightforward NBA trade scenario from Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz as Kyrie Irving and Da’Ron Sharpe would be headed to the Dallas Mavericks while Kristaps Porzingis and Jalen Brunson would find their way to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange.
With the COVID-19 mandate element being a factor with any Irving trade, there is some real “eye of the beholder” type of interpretation that is required when evaluating what is fair value and what’s not.
It’s been a mixed bag from Porzingis so far this season for the Mavericks. It’s intriguing to see him back playing in back-to-backs. However, his highly efficient production to begin the year has sharply declined and he’s now averaging 19.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists on just 45.0% from the field and 29.7% from deep.