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Jalen Brunson, Kyrie Irving Could Have Been in a Mavericks-Nets Trade That Never Happened: Report
Kyrie Irving is a Dallas Mavericks player but was it meant to happen earlier that the year the deal finally took place? Let's get to know.
Was it always meant that Kyrie Irving would play for the Dallas Mavericks? According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, who was speaking on The Knicks Film School Podcast, Jalen Brunson might have been involved in a trade for Irving to the Brooklyn Nets if he had re-signed with the Mavericks after the 2021–2022 season. This information was obtained through Knicks Film School on X, formerly Twitter.
“If Brunson signs that extension with Dallas, I think there is a high likelihood that he would be with the Brooklyn Nets right now,” MacMahon said. “Because listen, Mark Cuban has always been about chasing stars… Kyrie was going to become available the next season as he did. At the time the Mavericks did because they needed a star to replace Brunson, but I think they would have looked at that as an upgrade.”
Naturally, Brunson signed a free-agent contract with the Knicks during that offseason. He's been successful in New York; he was recently named the Knicks captain.
In contrast, Irving was traded to Dallas in the 2022–2023 season. Irving spent his first half of the season with the Mavs, but the team underperformed and failed to make the playoffs. They did, however, make a turnaround in 2023–2024 and advanced to the NBA Finals. Irving's future in Dallas appears bright, and he appears to enjoy playing for the Mavs.
However, in this hypothetical Brunson-Irving trade scenario, how would the deal have appeared differently from the actual one that materialized?
“They probably keep Dorian Finney-Smith in that case,” MacMahon continued. “Maybe they don't have to give up a first-round pick… But I think there's a decent chance that Jalen Brunson would have been moved to Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving still ending up in Dallas. It's one of those things where we will never know.”
Once more, Brunson is performing admirably for the Knicks. He even became the team's MVP front-runner. For him, it has been a favorable circumstance. There's no telling what might have happened if he had wound up in Brooklyn.
After trading away players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Nets are in trouble and must rebuild. Even though Brunson could have been a productive player in Brooklyn, the Nets' poor play would not have been ideal for him. According to MacMahon, Brunson's decision to join the Knicks is in a "much better situation" for the former guard for the Mavs.
ALSO READ: Jalen Brunson Signs Four Year, USD 156.5 Million Extension With Knicks: Report
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