Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving saw his responsibilities increase by almost triple overnight when the franchise decided to trade cornerstone Luka Doncic. Irving was the secondary ball-handler behind Luka but will now have to shoulder primary scoring and playmaking responsibilities, as the Mavericks look to make the most of this season with new acquisitions like Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and Caleb Martin.
Given the hate Mavericks GM Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd have received for the trade, Irving stuck up for the duo and eluded to being satisfied with the outcome of the trade.
“My goals are set in stone. I’ve let everybody around me know what my goals are to create a better environment for me… When you have Kidd and Nico doing their things behind the scenes, making sure we’re a good group personality-wise, makes my job a lot easier to go out and lead this group.”
Kyrie Irving was asked about the possibility that he, Klay & AD could have the chance to win an NBA title with 2 different teams:
“I’m in this league to win championships. I don’t want to waste my time waking up & not having a purpose out there on the court…just an awareness… pic.twitter.com/C0arjlHQYx
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) February 7, 2025
A lot of fans have conspiracy hats on, so many assume this quote indicates that Kyrie was part of the process of pushing Doncic out. However, based on the fact that the pair still follow each other (Luka unfollowed the Mavs, Nico, and Kidd after getting traded), it seems like Doncic doesn’t blame Irving for being one of the voices behind the trade.
It’s important to remember that Kyrie is a free agent in the summer, so he’s trying to extend his support to what’s turned out to be a cutthroat Mavs front office. Kyrie knows that if Luka was traded, he can’t assume his future with the franchise is secure either. But it does seem like the front office is betting on Kyrie being able to lead the team as the primary perimeter creator with Anthony Davis as a star frontcourt complement.
Irving also shared glowing quotes about Doncic after the news broke, with the guard also seeming shocked by the deal.
“Just really shocked and 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.”
“That’s the ultimate goal behind why I play. Having other guys who are championship-winners helps, but at the same time we gotta acknowledge that our little Slovenian President is no longer here and we’ve got to adjust.”
Mavericks fans have no choice but to rally behind Kyrie going forward, especially with Davis getting injured in his debut matchup. All three new Mavericks’ acquisitions are on the injury list right now, showing that their trades don’t seem to be panning out in the short term.
The outlook for the Mavs right now is to maximize the short-term, similar to how they caught form after February and rode the momentum to a Finals appearance. They’re currently 28-25 and the No. 8 seed in the West, so they have a sizable climb ahead of them with Davis out for the foreseeable future.
Kyrie might not be upset with Harrison for making the trade, as the GM claimed Kidd had no idea the deal was about to go through. However, he does have to wonder if the excessive load going forward while playing through a back injury is necessarily the best path to achieving his championship dream.
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