The Dallas Mavericks will hope their new superstar duo of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis can bring the franchise their first championship since 2011 after they shockingly traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. While the Doncic departure will be tough to move on from for Mavs fans, there’s excitement about the Davis-Irving duo.
In his first media appearance as a Maverick, Davis revealed that he and Kyrie almost teamed up in 2018 on the Boston Celtics before Davis was eventually traded to the Lakers and Irving left in free agency for the Brooklyn Nets.
“I’m very excited. Me and (Kyrie) talked about this I think in 2018 when I asked for a trade from New Orleans. He was in Boston at the time. He ended up leaving and going to Brooklyn. But we have wanted to play alongside each other for a very long time. Now we have an opportunity to do so.”
Davis might have talked about it, but anyone who remembers what was happening when AD requested his trade knows he did not want to join the Celtics. He repeatedly made sure Boston didn’t trade for him by making it clear he wouldn’t sign a contract extension with them, forcing his way to the Lakers in the summer of 2019.
Davis could have just been warned by Kyrie to not join the Celtics given the acrimonious fashion in which he exited the franchise that summer.
Boston should be happy they avoided this and not traded Jaylen Brown, who they saw complete his development and win Finals MVP for the franchise in their first title after 16 seasons.
Kyrie Irving Reveals He, Davis, And Kevin Durant Almost Teamed Up In Boston
Kyrie Irving was asked about Davis’ saying that the pair almost teamed up in Boston in 2018 after the Mavericks’ 116-118 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. Irving confirmed these rumors and added that he even asked Kevin Durant if he’d be interested in joining them.
“I was caught in a hallway talking to KD, and everybody was like, ‘Hey, these two are working together.’ Then the rumors started with AD around the same time. We all had that vision to play together in Boston. Danny Ainge had a large responsibility in that, trying to make it happen. Make sure l stayed in Boston.”
“But we had some young pieces in JT and JB and if we had traded either one of them who knows if they would have won a championship? So the franchise had to do what was best for them, and I had to do what was best for me. It didn’t necessarily make a lot of sense, because of the pieces and assets we had. But now, in our older age, as they say, in our league, we get a chance to do something we envisioned a while ago when we were young kids, so it’s exciting now.”
Irving realized his comments would be misconstrued to add to the recent reports that the Mavericks are looking to bring Durant to the franchise, making it clear that he’s talking about 2018 and not foreshadowing KD joining Dallas now.
Yeah. That has no foreshadowing either, on anything, guys. Just letting you know right now. (laughs) We were discussing in 2018. Just for everybody at home who’s watching, because I know all of these words are going to be looked at.”
Irving also said that those trade rumors caused major locker room friction that season, which ruined the Celtics 2018-19 season.
“In 2018, it was a dream for Kyrie, AD, and 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 JB 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.
Trade chatter around Durant has suddenly reached a fever pitch, with many assuming either the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors are planning to swoop in for the forward.
The Mavericks are expected to be in those talks also, but it’s far more realistic to see the Mavs play this season out with Irving and Davis before adjusting the roster to what those two need to compete for a title next season.
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