Mar 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) is helped off the court by forward Naji Marshall (13) and forward Anthony Davis (3) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Former Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving is recovering after tearing his ACL, ending his second full season with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Nets traded Irving (and Markieff Morris) to the Mavs two years ago for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks.
Now with Irving out for the season and facing free agency this summer, did the Nets come out on the deal on the better side?
The Mavs traded for Irving in hopes of winning a championship, and even though they came close last year, losing in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, it doesn’t appear likely that the team will get there this year.
In that regard, the Mavs came up short of their goal on their end, but the Nets haven’t necessarily won this deal yet either.
Finney-Smith was traded in December to the Los Angeles Lakers for Maxwell Lewis, an expiring D’Angelo Russell contract and three second-round picks. Perhaps the Nets can hit on one of the draft picks or Lewis, who hurt himself in his Nets debut and hasn’t returned to action.
Dinwiddie was dealt for Dennis Schroder last year, who was then flipped in a similar deal to that of Finney-Smith. The Nets got three second-round picks, Reece Beekman and De’Anthony Melton’s contract to match. Perhaps Brooklyn can do something with the draft picks or Beekman, but it is unlikely.
The main piece that will decide who wins or loses the trade is this 2029 unprotected first-round pick. The Nets will get the least favorable of the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets, but things could look gruesome for all of those teams by the end of the decade. The Suns and Mavs could be entering long rebuilds, while the Rockets appear to sit pretty, but they may be hitting the end of their contender window by the time 2029 hits. This could mean that the Nets get a mid-round pick, or possibly one later in the round if the Rockets are still good by then.
Overall, the Nets have a lot of second-round picks to work with that can help, but Irving’s injury doesn’t make the Mavs a winner, which means Brooklyn still has a chance to come out of this trade on top.
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