Brooklyn Nets Trade Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavs See Instant Odds Boost

February 6, 2023 World Sports

The Dallas Mavericks acquired point guard Kyrie Irving today in a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. As a consequence, the Mavs saw their championships odds jump from +2400 to +1200.

According to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Mavs will send guard Spencer Dinwiddie, power forward Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick, and multiple second-round picks to the Nets. To complete the trade, the Nets will send Irving and forward Markieff Morris to the Mavs.

The Nets will receive an unprotected first-round pick in the 2029 NBA Draft, in addition to second-round picks in 2027 and 2029.

With a 28-26 record, the Mavs are in sixth place in the Western Conference standings. The Nets occupy fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 32-20 record.

Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game with the Nets this season. He shot only 37.4% from 3-point range, which was his lowest success rate in seven seasons.

Dinwiddie averaged 17.7 points and 5.3 assists per game with the Mavs, while shooting 40.5% from beyond the arc. Finney-Smith averaged 9.1 points and 4.7 assists per game as a starter.

Futures Market Quick Reactions to Irving Trade
Early last week, the Nets were +600 odds to win the 2022-23 NBA championship Their odds began to move on Friday moments after Irving asked the Nets to trade him. On Sunday morning, the Nets were +2000 odds to win the title. As soon as the trade news reached social media, the Nets saw their title odds continue to fall to +2500.

The Mavs saw their NBA championship odds drastically change from +2500 to +1200 after the Irving trade. DraftKings updated their NBA futures, and the Mavs are the currently the seventh-highest team on the board. The Boston Celtics are still the consensus favorite to win the title at +330 odds, and the defending champion Golden State Warriors are +1200 odds.

The Mavs also saw their conference odds narrow after the Irving trade was announced. You can now back the Mavs at +600 odds to win the Western Conference. Meanwhile, back in Brooklyn, the Nets are now +750 odds to win the Eastern Conference.

The Irving trade also affected the NBA divisional markets. The Nets are +2500 odds to win the Atlantic Division as the third-highest team on the board, behind the Boston Celtics (-650) and Philadelphia 76ers (+400).

The Mavs improved to +420 odds to win the Southwest Division. They trail the Memphis Grizzlies, who are -550 odds to win back-to-back division titles.

Mavs Add Additional Scorer to Help Dončić
The Mavs advanced to the postseason for a third year in a row last year. With a 52-30 record, they secured the #4 seed in the 2022 Western Conference playoffs.

Superstar Luka Dončić was slowed down by a calf injury, but the Mavs defeated the #5 Utah Jazz in six games in the opening round.

In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Mavs upset the #1 Phoenix Suns in seven games. The top-seeded Suns had the best record in the NBA last season, but they imploded in Game 7 in one of the worst blow-out losses in NBA postseason history.

The Mavs secured a trip to the Western Conference Finals, but they were eliminated in five games by the red-hot #3 Golden State Warriors, who eventually went on to win the championship.

The Mavs entered the 2022-23 regular season with high expectations, even though they lost guard Jalen Brunson in free agency. Brunson signed a deal with the Knicks, and the Mavs struggled this season without an additional playmaker.

By adding Irving to the mix, the Mavs drastically upgraded their backcourt. Irving and Dončić are a dangerous duo that will be tough to stop in the postseason. However, the Mavs had to give up two starters and solid defenders in Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith in order to add Irving.