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 ā€œdidnā€™t like itā€¦ it has nothing to do with Kyrie. I didnā€™t like how much they had to give up to get him.ā€

Carter didn't like Dallas surrendering Dorian Finney-Smith in the trade in particular.

ā€œThey struggled defensively with two of your best defensive players, well, your best defensive player, and now theyā€™re gone.ā€

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ā€œEvery team they face, that comes into their building, will have two go-to guys. Not one,ā€ Carter continues. ā€œSo now, who is going to guard the other? Thatā€™s the problem. Finney-Smith isnā€™t a superstar, but heā€™s a gem. Heā€™s a guy that will knock down a shot, and heā€™s going to guard their best player and heā€™s going to take the pressure off Luka [Doncic] having to guard somebody.ā€

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.

ā€œIf you put a better roster around those guys then you can see if itā€™s a roster that is willing to do whatever, and buy in,ā€ he said. ā€œIf you start out, and youā€™re not very good, after a while itā€™s, ā€˜Iā€™m going to get mine. Iā€™m going to get my numbers.ā€™ To hit (contract) incentives. Maybe a guy a needs a new deal, or his contract is coming up. Thatā€™s the issue you fall into when youā€™re not winning.ā€