Ex-NBA Executive Slams 'Desperate' Mavs After Kyrie Irving Trade

The Dallas Mavericks made a blockbuster midseason trade to acquire Kyrie Irving ahead of his impending free agency. One former NBA executive says they're in a 'desperate' season.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks have a lot of work to do without much time to do it in order to achieve their goals after the Kyrie Irving trade. Right now, they are 32-31 on the season and rank seventh in the Western Conference standings and have gone 1-2 since the All-Star break. 

Former NBA executive and current member of The Athletic, John Hollinger, recently analyzed some hopeful contenders being "exposed" as pretenders. The Mavs were among the various teams highlighted in the story. 

Kidd's recent post-game comments after losing despite holding a 27-point lead to the Los Angeles Lakers caught the attention of many when he said, “I’m not the savior here… I’m watching; I’m not playing." Hollinger highlighted that comment among his reasons to describe the Mavs as having a panic season.  

Hollinger called the trade to acquire Kyrie Irving a "quasi-reckless gamble" and chalked up extra desperation points for starting Justin Holiday, who was recently signed on the buyout market after being a DNP-CD for all but two games in January as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. 

"The Mavs have a familiar litany of issues for a team on this list. They’re already in next year’s tax, out of future draft picks and trying to hit on a quasi-reckless gamble (Kyrie Irving) after painting themselves into a corner with bad contracts and the needless own goal of Jalen Brunson’s departure," Hollinger wrote. "The Mavs also got bonus desperation points for starting a buyout guy (Justin Holiday, who couldn’t get minutes in Atlanta even as the Hawks were desperate for reliable wing play)."

Hollinger pointed out the natural possibility of losing Irving in free agency along with looking at the history of Kidd's prior coaching stints as major reasons to keep an eye on the Mavs. If those situations end poorly, it could get much worse, in a hurry. 

"Keep an eye on this situation. Between Irving’s wandering eye for L.A. this summer, the potential of Luka Doncic's frustration boiling over and Kidd’s history of things ending badly when they end, this could get a lot worse before it gets better."

There are 19 games left for the Mavs to make major defensive strides and for some continuity to be established with their newest superstar. There is a wide range of possible outcomes ahead, if negative, the consequences could prove substantial. 

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