Kyrie Irving Reflects on Luka Doncic Trade: A New Chapter for the Mavericks
PHILADELPHIA — In a move that has sent shockwaves through the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks made headlines by trading their star player, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers. This unexpected trade has left Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving and his teammates in a state of disbelief. Speaking publicly for the first time since the trade, Irving described the situation as “still a grieving process” for the team. Despite the emotional upheaval, Irving expressed excitement about the opportunity to play alongside his longtime friend, Anthony Davis.
After scoring 34 points in 42 minutes during a 118-116 loss to the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center, Irving shared his initial reaction to the trade. “Just really shocked,” he admitted. “You just don’t imagine you’re going to get ready to go to sleep and then you find out news like that. It’s still a grieving process right now. I miss my hermano.”
The atmosphere surrounding the Mavericks has been surreal since the trade, with Irving fielding questions solely about the departure of Doncic and his own future with Davis. The game against the 76ers, which saw Dallas miss a chance to tie or win in the final seconds, was overshadowed by the trade news.
Irving acknowledged the emotional toll of seeing Doncic leave, especially after the duo led Dallas to the NBA Finals less than a year ago. “This is a business, it’s way above my pay grade, and I’ve just got to adjust and be ready to welcome in my new teammates with open arms and kind of be ready to go back to Dallas, too, to speak in front of our fans,” Irving said. “I know they are feeling it, too. I’m feeling it too, guys. So, yeah, it’s just an adjustment period. I don’t want to downplay this either, or disrespect our new guys. They’re going to help us win, and help us build toward a championship, but just like everyone else at home, when you kind of see it from afar, it hurts.”
Irving continued, “This is a weird case in NBA history to be a part of, but at the same time it’s the nature of our business, and it is a ruthless business. So you’ve got to be ready to pick up the pieces and run towards the championship. That’s the ultimate goal and why I play, and having other guys that are championship winners, too, helps. But at the same time, we still have to acknowledge our little Slovenian president is no longer here, and we’ve got to adjust.”
Irving’s Connection with Anthony Davis
The trade brings Irving together with Davis, a player he has been linked to for years. During the 2018-19 season, while Irving was with the Boston Celtics, there were rumors of Davis joining him in Boston. However, that Celtics team eventually fell apart, and Irving moved on to play alongside Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, while Davis was traded to the Lakers to team up with LeBron James.
Irving revealed that the original plan was for him, Durant, Davis, and Jayson Tatum to play together in Boston. “Yeah. That has no foreshadowing either, on anything, guys. Just letting you know right now,” Irving said with a laugh, addressing speculation about Durant, who is now with the Phoenix Suns, ahead of the trade deadline. “We were discussing in 2018, just for everybody at home that’s watching, because I know all of these words are going to be looked at. But yeah, in 2018, it was a dream for Kyrie, AD, KD to be on one team and still keep JT and let him grow and then see how it goes. But back then, those young guys weren’t ready to be in trade rumors, man. Our locker room splintered after that once they found out. It wasn’t [Jaylen Brown] or JT, but our locker room splintered once they started figuring out the trade rumors, and our season started going in a whole different way.”
Looking Ahead: A New Era for the Mavericks
While the Celtics’ plans never materialized, Irving is now focused on leading the Mavericks to an NBA championship with Davis by his side. The Mavericks are set to face the Boston Celtics in an NBA Finals rematch on Thursday night. When the schedule was released last summer, few could have predicted that Doncic would no longer be part of the Dallas roster.
As the initial shock of the trade begins to subside, Irving is optimistic about the Mavericks’ potential for another deep playoff run this spring. “We’re putting the pieces together,” he said. “And the tone is improving, just because everybody had questions, a little confusion, and that’s about it. We’re just talking to each other, making sure we’re all good, and putting the game first and in a capacity where we can prepare and then off the court in practices and some dinners that we’ll have, make sure we connect and make sure we do all the things to have the qualities of a championship team. So, same vision, just guys in the locker room are a little bit different. We’re going to have to adjust, but we’ll be fine.”
Originally Written by: Tim Bontemps
