There are many people who seem to wish the Dallas Mavericks didn't trade for All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, including former NBA star and current ESPN analyst Vince Carter.
Of the Mavs adding Kyrie amid his trade request from the Brooklyn Nets, Carter tells Mac Engel of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he âdidnât like it⌠it has nothing to do with Kyrie. I didnât like how much they had to give up to get him.â
Carter didn't like Dallas surrendering Dorian Finney-Smith in the trade in particular.
âThey struggled defensively with two of your best defensive players, well, your best defensive player, and now theyâre gone.â
Article Continues BelowâEvery team they face, that comes into their building, will have two go-to guys. Not one,â Carter continues. âSo now, who is going to guard the other? Thatâs the problem. Finney-Smith isnât a superstar, but heâs a gem. Heâs a guy that will knock down a shot, and heâs going to guard their best player and heâs going to take the pressure off Luka [Doncic] having to guard somebody.â
Still, Carter believes that if they add players with a mature, veteran, team-first mindset, then the Mavs could make it work with Kyrie and Luka.
However, he has a warning for what it may look like if Dallas gets off to a slow start with the duo next season.
âIf you put a better roster around those guys then you can see if itâs a roster that is willing to do whatever, and buy in,â he said. âIf you start out, and youâre not very good, after a while itâs, âIâm going to get mine. Iâm going to get my numbers.â To hit (contract) incentives. Maybe a guy a needs a new deal, or his contract is coming up. Thatâs the issue you fall into when youâre not winning.â