Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic had a key role in the team securing a trade for Brooklyn Nets all-star Kyrie Irving.
The deal was reported on Sunday evening after Irving had requested a trade away from the Nets earlier in the week. Irving was said to have felt disrespected by a contract offer from the Nets after he had initially declared his interest to remain with the team for the foreseeable future.
But when the offer came in, a clause was included which Irving 'vehemently disagreed' with, so much so that he demanded a trade away from the team immediately - just days before the trade window closes.
The Nets were left in a tough position, with Irving set to become a free agent this summer, and ended up trading him to the Mavericks - who likely offered the best package deal for him. The Nets received Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round draft pick and a second-round pick.
And according to ESPN's NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Mavericks ran the move past Doncic to get his impression before pulling the trigger on a deal.
He said: "The Mavericks also ran the deal for Irving past All-NBA star Luka Doncic, who gave it a nod. The Mavs can now wait to see how the rest of the season goes before deciding on a new deal for Irving."
And the feeling is mutual, with Irving excited to be in Dallas, as Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported: "Kyrie Irving is said to be ‘ecstatic’ about the trade to Dallas Mavericks and ‘looking forward’ to joining forces with Luka Doncic."
Irving will be far and away the best player that Doncic has had as a teammate with the Mavericks, after a move for Kristaps Porzingis did not work out, and only playing with Dirk Nowitski for one season at the end of his career.
The Lakers are another team are said to have made an offer, but not enough to entice the Nets, much to the frustration of LeBron James, who kept it no secret of his desire to see Irving join.
The Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers always figured to be the frontrunners, with Dallas now getting their man - finally adding a superstar to play alongside MVP candidate Doncic - and the Slovenian was more than happy to see him join.
