Even for Kyrie Irving, the magnitude of this conclusion might be remarkable.
Irving’s unexpected exit has left stunned audiences everywhere he’s performed. He has abandoned superteams (Cavaliers and now Nets), alienated former colleagues (Celtics), and made messes he never had to clean up (all three). This time, though, it is possible that more than one team will be affected.
The Nets may certainly implode. But by pairing Irving with Luka Doncic, the Mavericks, who believed they could appease a superstar when three other clubs failed, have taken an enormous gamble. After the team was unable to make a James-Irving reunion work, the earliest indications from Lakers camp indicate that LeBron James does not take rejection well.
There are plausible scenarios in which Irving’s recent actions may have led to the demise of three separate NBA franchises. Irving has set in motion a fascinating domino effect by requesting a trade away from an Eastern Conference contender and compelling each team to assess its desire for glory and tolerance for pain.
In the wake of the Nets granting Irving’s trade request on Sunday, let’s speculate on what could go wrong, given that when Irving is associated with your favorite NBA team, things tend to go awry.
What if Kevin Durant, without the friend he signed up to play with, wants a trade tomorrow (for the second time)? What if, inspired by Irving, Durant engages in dirty play and threatens to sit out the remainder of the season if general manager Sean Marks does not comply with his demand? The Nets could receive a treasure trove of young players and draft picks in exchange, but no comparable superstars will be moving to Brooklyn.
Furthermore, tanking is not an option, and not just for moral reasons. After their first deal involving James Harden, the Nets are prohibited from drafting with their own first-round pick in 2024, ’25, and ’26, and must either surrender it to the Rockets or be susceptible to trade swaps.
Perhaps Durant, who has always appeared to value the game in a manner that Irving has not, remains on the floor, remains with the Nets, and gives Marks the opportunity to assemble a contender before the trade deadline. The Nets, who have effectively lost two superstars in Irving and the possibly-gone, currently injured Ben Simmons, have diminished chances of winning a championship this season.
In September, Durant will turn 35 years old. As he contemplates his NBA future, does he believe the Nets can quickly acquire another star to form a team with a legitimate opportunity at the upcoming Finals? Or, would he decide over the offseason that he would be better off playing with, say, Devin Booker of Phoenix, and request a trade?
Without Irving to keep him in Brooklyn, Durant’s and the Nets’ futures are wide open.
Mavericks: The temptation to pair Doncic and Irving is evident, as is the potential downside.
There are immediate compatibility concerns: Doncic and Irving are at their finest with the ball in their hands, and neither plays much defense. The Mavericks, who were previously not a great defensive squad, lost their best perimeter defender in Dorian Finney-Smith and three inches when they exchanged Spencer Dinwiddie (6-foot-5) for (if) 6-foot-2 Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks were the seventh-worst defensive team in the NBA with Finney-Smith and Dinwiddie, allowing 114.9 points per 100 possessions. Without them, every opponent must be outgunned by the Mavericks.
Additionally, there are long-term concerns. Irving is a free agent at the end of the season and might be drawn in a variety of different directions. If Mark Cuban were to sign Irving to a long-term contract, the Mavericks would receive a prodigious talent and a pain as reliable as the printer in “Office Space.”
Even if the Mavericks re-sign Irving and he focuses exclusively on basketball for the first time in his NBA career, there are no assurances that this great but imperfect star duo will succeed. What if Doncic, still seeking his first championship, opts out of his contract in the summer of 2026 and leaves as a free agent? What if he becomes tired of Irving sooner?
This unprotected first-round pick in 2029 that the Mavericks recently sent to the Nets will be significant.
While scarcely playing, Irving annihilated the 2021-22 Nets for the Lakers. Can he now assist in dismantling a squad despite not being on the roster?
The Lakers, who were 13th in the Western Conference’s 15-team standings, undoubtedly viewed Irving as the only available superstar they could pair with James for a potential late-season playoff run. They reportedly offered both their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in negotiations with Marks, but the Nets chose the Mavericks’ offer. It is possible that the Nets did not want to send Irving, who has made amends with James following their divorce in Cleveland and was Kobe Bryant’s close buddy, to the destination he chose.
Regardless of the rationale, the Lakers were unsuccessful. James, perhaps listening to Blink-182 and channeling his high school self, became overwhelmed with emotion.
He tweeted “Maybe It’s Me” on Sunday after missing out on yet another stellar teammate.
James is under contract through 2023-24, but what if the 38-year-old decides he does not want to spend another season with a team that has not won enough with him and Anthony Davis? Would losing Irving prompt him to go early in search of an easier path to another championship?
We will investigate. The first domino has been dropped.
Alexis Lafrenière may have had the breakout moment the Rangers were anticipating… see it: Jacob Trouba lands a hit that launches a helmet.
Nets squander Cam Thomas’s 47 points and lose their first game since acquiring Kyrie.
Greetings from Phoenix
This week, The Post’s football journalists are in Phoenix to cover the Super Bowl. What is it like to experience the sights and noises preceding the big game? This issue was contributed by Brian Costello, who offers an NFL version of Sightings:
On Monday morning, as passengers waited to board United Flight 1236 from Newark Airport to Phoenix, several could be seen doing a double take.
Is this…? Yes, it was Giants head coach Brian Daboll leaving for Arizona early on Monday morning.
Although Daboll’s Giants failed not reach the Super Bowl, he is a finalist for NFL Coach of the Year, which will be awarded Thursday at NFL Honors. Daboll spent time at the front gate conversing with Giants supporters, posing for selfies, and cracking jokes. When I suggested that Daboll could probably get on the plane early if he identified himself to the gate agents, he remained at the back of the line and joked, “I’m just happy to get on the plane.”
When we landed in Phoenix, there were more admirers at the baggage claim waiting for him. As one left with a new snapshot in her phone, she said, “Well, my trip is over.”
The NFL Honors, like other award presentations, features a red carpet entrance. I told Daboll I would see him on the red carpet as we exited. He joked, “I’ll be the one in sweats.”
The sticker shock of Steve
Steve Cohen was taken aback by his need to spend roughly $370 million in luxury-tax payroll in 2023 to maintain the Mets’ core.
Getty Pictures
Mike Puma of The Post examined the Mets’ incoming free agents and contract estimates in August and concluded that the Mets would have to increase their payroll to approximately $345 million to return the same 101-win team from the previous season.
The possibility exists that Steve Cohen did not read the paper.
The Mets owner spoke with ESPN for a Monday story in which he admitted he did not anticipate this spending spree — guaranteeing nearly $500 million to free agents this winter and running his 2023 payroll up to a projected, competitive-balance-tax record of $369.9 million, according to Cot’s Contracts.
Cohen told ESPN, “I did not anticipate having to spend as much as I did.” “I was actually somewhat naive in that aspect. But once I felt at ease and recognized, OK, what it would take to put a quality club on the field, I had promised the fans and the sport of baseball that I would come in and turn things around. I came in declaring my commitment. And I keep my word.”
Even though Carlos Correa’s $315 million deal fell through, Mets fans are not upset.
Since Cohen took charge, the Mets’ farm system had been expected to begin generating great young talent, which would be supplemented by splashy free-agent signings. Cohen’s pocketbook is keeping the Mets afloat and competitive until the farm system matures.
Even he was unaware of how costly this idea would be when he initially drafted it.
Tom Brady takes time for himself.
Without a Super Bowl to prepare for, Tom Brady had ample time to attend the debut of “80 For Brady,” a film inspired by his career.
Getty Photographs for Paramount Pictures
Since 1999, the NFL will hold a season without Tom Brady for the first time.
Brady, who recently announced his retirement, stated on Monday that he will take a gap year in 2023 before entering the top NFL broadcast booth at Fox Sports in the fall of 2024.
After 23 NFL seasons, the most recent of which featured a divorce, he may benefit from taking some time for himself and his family.
Brady stated on FS1’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” that decompression is really important. “You’ve been on this insane treadmill, hamster wheel, for a very long time, enjoying the present and the trip. In addition, it is a daily struggle.
“I am appreciative of the countless individuals who are so dedicated to turning up every day and giving their all to their life and careers. For myself, I want to be exceptional at what I do — just last week, I spoke with the guys at Fox Sports and their leadership about starting my Fox opportunity in 2024, which is terrific for me.
Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen will be Fox’s premier broadcasting duo for one more season.
This means that Brady has committed to an entire year away from NFL Sundays. Obviously, as soon as a top quarterback sustains an injury, rumors will surface as to whether Brady is completely and totally retired.
Brady remarked, “I’ve enjoyed my time in football.” “It’s difficult to make decisions [like retirement], but the time is right.”
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