In the immediate aftermath of Sunday’s reports that the Dallas Mavericks and Brooklyn Nets have completed a blockbuster trade that will send Kyrie Irving from Brooklyn to Dallas in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and draft picks, some wondered if Irving could make his Mavericks debut on Monday night against the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, such will not occur.
Wojnarowski reported that Irving “is expected to arrive” in Dallas on Monday and make his Mavericks debut Wednesday on the road against the LA Clippers.
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd told reporters on Saturday that his other star, Luka Doncic, would not be making the trip to Utah for Monday’s game, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears.
Mavs coach Jason Kidd says Luka Doncic (heel) is improving but he will not be going to Utah.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) February 5, 2023
Given that Dinwiddie and Finney-Smith also will not be playing, the Mavericks will be very shorthanded Monday.
The Jazz have played both the Nets and Mavericks in the past few weeks. On Jan. 20, Irving went off for 48 points as Brooklyn beat Utah 117-106 in Salt Lake City, and then on Jan. 28, the Jazz beat Dallas 108-100 in Salt Lake City in a game Doncic also did not play in.
Dinwiddie scored 35 points in Doncic’s absence.