DALLAS — Kyrie Irving is getting his wish. He’s getting traded.
And Luka Doncic is getting another All-Star to help him in Dallas.
The Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets agreed Sunday on a blockbuster trade: Irving – the super-talented and often-enigmatic eight-time All-Star point guard – heads to Dallas, ending the pairing with Kevin Durant that never really had a chance to click.
The Nets get Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and a package of draft picks, according to a person familiar with the terms of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been finalized. Dallas also gets Markieff Morris.
The Athletic and ESPN first reported the trade agreement. It will become complete once the teams have a call with the NBA, which is standard for all trades.
The move comes just two days after Irving told the Nets that he wanted to be traded by Thursday’s league deadline, after talks about a contract beyond this season didn’t go to his liking. He wasn’t with the Nets for their game Saturday, and by Sunday afternoon, his time in Brooklyn appeared to be at an end.
It was not immediately clear when Irving would make his debut with Dallas. The Mavericks play at Utah on Monday night.
Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season. Doncic is averaging 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists. They instantly become one of the NBA’s top duos, and figure to make Dallas even a stronger contender in a Western Conference that has no shortage of championship-capable teams.
Irving is, for now, scheduled to become a free agent after the season. The Los Angeles Lakers were believed to have been one of a few teams interested in Irving – a notion that could have reunited Irving with LeBron James, with whom he won a title with in Cleveland in 2016.
The trade does again pair Irving with Dallas General Manager Nico Harrison, who was a Nike executive before taking over the Mavericks in 2021.
Irving had a relationship with Nike for the entirety of his NBA career until earlier this season, when the sneaker giant dropped him – and canceled the planned release of his next signature shoe just before it dropped — as part of the massive fallout from Irving posting a link to an antisemitic film on his Twitter account.
That was one of many drama-filled sagas that marked Irving’s time with the Nets. He wouldn’t get vaccinated against COVID-19 and, because of New York City workplace rules, had to miss most of Brooklyn’s home games last season. He also took two leaves of absence during the 2020-21 season.
He has also expressed no shortage of controversial opinions during his career – including repeated questioning whether the Earth was round before eventually apologizing to science teachers.
The various issues limited Irving to 143 games in three-plus seasons with the Nets, and he and Durant were together for just 74 of them after their celebrated pairing in the summer of 2019. Irving signed as a free agent while Durant joined the Nets on a sign-and-trade with Golden State.
After the Nets lost to Dallas at home in overtime in October, Irving said he saw traits of the Mavericks being “a great team.” And he spoke at length of how highly he thinks of Doncic’s game, after the Mavs star had a 41-point, 14-rebound, 11-assist masterpiece.
“I think first, we’ve got to discuss just how long he’s been playing professional basketball. I think it’s been since like 14, 15 years old,” Irving said that night. “He’s used to seeing so many different defenses, so many different roles that he’s played, I’m sure, overseas. And now that he’s in the NBA, you just see him. He plays at an incredible pace. He makes great decisions.”
WARRIORS: All-Star guard Stephen Curry will be sidelined because of injuries to his left leg, the team said, and the Warriors aren’t sure how long he’ll be out.
Curry was diagnosed with partial tears to his superior tibiofibular ligament and interosseous membrane in his left leg and also has a lower-leg contusion. He left Saturday’s game against Dallas with 2:01 left in the third quarter, after his wrapped left leg – which he originally hurt Thursday in a matchup against Denver – appeared to buckle as he played defense.
He immediately began hopping in obvious discomfort, then left the game and didn’t return.
Curry, who is averaging 29.4 points per game this season, won’t play Monday against Oklahoma City. And with the All-Star Game two weeks away, it now seems very possible that Curry might not be there.
If Curry – or any of the other 24 players selected to the NBA All-Star Game – cannot participate in the Feb. 19 contest, Commissioner Adam Silver will select a replacement. Starters were chosen by a formula that included voting from fans, media and NBA players. Reserves were picked by NBA coaches.
Curry already has had one extended absence of the season, missing 11 games from Dec. 16 through Jan. 7 with a shoulder injury. The Warriors went 6-5 in those games.
SUNDAY’S GAMES
KNICKS 108, 76ERS 97: Julius Randle had 24 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Jalen Brunson scored 21 points, and New York overcame an early 21-point deficit to beat visiting Philadelphia.
Evan Fournier came off the bench to add 17 points for the Knicks, who were playing a night after an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Joel Embiid had 31 points for the 76ers, going 18 of 19 from the free throw line, and grabbed 14 rebounds.
Philadelphia went ahead by 21 points in the first quarter, but the Knicks continued to chip away and cut it to 53-51 at halftime.
Randle’s 3-pointer to start the second half put New York ahead 54-53, its first lead since 2-0. Philadelphia went back up by eight and led 79-76 heading into the fourth quarter.
Tyrese Maxey opened the final quarter with a three-point play, but the Knicks scored the next 10 points and capped a 15-2 run on Fournier’s 3-pointer, giving them a 91-84 lead.
They never trailed again.
MAGIC 119, HORNETS 113: Paolo Banchero had 22 points and 10 rebounds, Wendell Carter Jr. added 20 points and 12 rebounds and Orlando took advantage of Charlotte’s poor foul shooting to beat the Hornets in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Hornets made just one of nine free throws in the fourth quarter while Orlando was going 13 of 15. Charlotte finished 11 of 23 from the line in its fourth straight loss – Orlando wound up 27 of 30 on foul shots.
Markelle Fultz had 16 points and Frank Wagner chipped in with 14 for the Magic, who improved to 9-19 on the road. Orlando has won three of its last four overall.
The Magic overcame a terrific second half by LaMelo Ball, who had 26 of his 33 points after the break and finished with six 3-pointers. Terry Rozier had 24 points for the Hornets.
CAVALIERS 122, PACERS 103: Darius Garland scored 24 points, Isaac Okoro added 20 and Cleveland made 15 3-pointers in a rout at Indianapolis.
All five starters scored in double figures for the Cavaliers, who shot 52.3% percent from the field, including 15 of 37 (40.5%) from long range, to complement a top-ranked defense that held Indiana to 43.5% shooting.
Jarrett Allen contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds, Evan Mobley had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Donovan Mitchell added 19 points and six assists for the Cavs. Garland – a Gary, Indiana, native – made four 3s and had six assists.
RAPTORS 106, GRIZZLIES 103: Pascal Siakam scored 19 points, including a pair of free throws with 9 seconds left, and Toronto rallied from a 15-point deficit to win at Memphis.
Jaren Jackson Jr. missed a 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds left that would have tied the game for the Grizzlies, who played without star Ja Morant because of right wrist soreness.
Toronto won its second straight game and went 4-3 on its season-long seven-game road swing. Memphis has lost three straight and eight of nine.
Chris Boucher scored 17 points and matched his season high with three 3-pointers for the Raptors. Scottie Barnes finished with 16 points, including a pair of key baskets down the stretch.
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