Russell Westbrook responds to rumors linking him with possible Kyrie Irving's trade
NBADallas Coach Jason Kidd Sends Warning to NBA After Kyrie Irving’s Trade
- Jason Kidd has sent a warning to the rest of the NBA after Kyrie Irving completed his move to the Dallas Mavericks
- Irving now joins forces with MVP candidate Luka Doncic
- Dallas is looking to win their first NBA title since 2011
Dallas Mavericks fans finally have a star they've been crying out for to partner with Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving's deal to the Mavericks is sealed. For Mavericks and NBA fans, the duo have immense pressure on their shoulders.
The former Brooklyn Nets star has many admirers in the NBA. The Mavs won the race to sign him but both Los Angeles teams reportedly made aggressive moves to acquire him.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd said getting Irving from the Brooklyn Nets gives his team a better chance to compete for the NBA championship.
Kidd and Doncic took the 2011 NBA champions to the Western Conference Finals last season where they were beaten by eventual champions Golden State Warriors in five games.
Exciting feature: Check out news exactly for YOU ➡️ click on "Recommended for you" and enjoy!
They started this season sluggishly and have had to rely on Doncic's superhuman performances. They are 5th in the West with a 29-26 record. The 30-year-old guard is a floor-raiser and will immediately impact the team.
Kidd's warning to NBA
Kidd, who was part of the 2011 Dallas title-winning team said adding Irving to their roster makes them a serious contender for the championship.
“You can’t ask for a better situation. We feel that getting him is going to help put us in a position to win a championship," via SI.
The former point guard stated that the former Boston Celtics star adds quality to their roster.
"On paper,. it gives us scoring, a champion, an All-Star — someone whose basketball IQ is extremely high. It gives us another weapon to put alongside Luka and the rest of his teammates."
Warriors dealt big blow as Steph Curry set to be out of NBA action for several weeks
NBAHow will Irving and Doncic play together?
Irving is putting up 27.1 points per game this season while Doncic's 33.4 points per game have firmly put him in the NBA MVP conversation. But how will the two make Dallas a potent machine?
Irving has played with ball-dominant players, like LeBron James and Kevin Durant but none of them compares to Doncic. The 23-year-old Slovenian has the ball 9.6 minutes per game and led time in possession in the last two seasons, per the Athletic. Irving himself is ball dominant but he can play off the ball. This season, he has made over 60% of his spot-up shots.
The two, nonetheless are not great defenders. Unless Dallas makes moves ahead of the trade deadline, the playoffs may expose them.
Jacque Vaughn's message to Irving
Sports Brief earlier reported on Nets coach Jacque Vaughn sending a lovely message to KIrving who completed his move away from Brooklyn.
NBA trade rumors: Brooklyn Nets trade Kyrie Irving to Dallas Mavericks in blockbuster swap
NBAVaughn sent a cheeky dig at Irving, saying that all players are responsible for showing up for work.
However, after the deal was completed, he sang praises for the 8x NBA All-Star, wishing him well in Dallas.