The shockwaves sent around the league by the Dallas Mavericks' decision to trade Luka Doncic away continue to resonate throughout those closest to the situation. One of those is Kyrie Irving, the star the Mavericks acquired back in 2023 to pair with Doncic in an elite scoring backcourt. The 2023 season may have been a disaster for the Mavs, but with Doncic and Irving leading the way in what ended up being their only whole season together, they managed to make it all the way to the NBA Finals — only for the team to break them up in the most shocking development in NBA history.

The NBA might be a cruel business that leaves no room for sentiment, but even with Doncic and Irving not having spent a ton of time together on the Mavericks, they have already gone through war together and achieved so much. And it is definitely going to be an adjustment for Irving that he and Doncic aren't going to have a chance to run it back and try to get over the hump, avenging their NBA Finals defeat.

“Just really shocked and you just don’t imagine you’re going to get ready to go to sleep and then you find out news like that,” Irving said, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It’s still a grieving process right now. I miss my hermano.”

“It is a ruthless business. We still have to acknowledge that our little Slovenian president is no longer here and we gotta adjust.”

Irving isn't the only one grieving the Mavericks' stunning decision to give Doncic up. The entire Mavs fanbase is in a state of mourning, still flummoxed by why the front office would trade away one of the best players in NBA history through age-25. Doncic hasn't even expressed a desire to leave in any capacity, which just adds to the sadness that envelopes the situation.

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Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving embraced one another during their time with the Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) comes into the game to replace guard Luka Doncic (77) during the second half against the Orlando Magic at the American Airlines Center.
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When the Mavericks acquired Kyrie Irving via trade in 2023, his stock was very low, as he was coming off a controversy-filled run marred by some questionable tweets and a polarizing stance on vaccines. But Luka Doncic embraced him with open arms, and it looks like the friendship they managed to build is one that will last forever.

Nonetheless, Doncic's departure hasn't seemed to affect Irving's play on the court, as he put up 34 points on Tuesday in a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, although it is a real concern for the Mavericks to watch how the vibes in the locker room have changed after trading away their (former) star man.