The Dallas Mavericks made one of the boldest, most questionable moves in recent NBA history.
Despite having zero certainties that Kyrie Irving would want to stay beyond this season, they still gave away their backup point guard, their best defender, and draft capital to pair him with Luka Doncic.
One didn’t have to be a basketball genius to realize that this might not be the best idea.
Of course, both are generationally great scorers, but they’re also ball-dominant players with no defensive expertise, and that was exactly the opposite of what this team needed.
So, now that they’ve struggled to win some games together, Skip Bayless claims he now officially feels sorry for Doncic.
Bayless also says he believes Doncic might not be exactly happy with taking a backseat to Kyrie when the game is on the line, which wouldn’t be much of a surprise, given his competitive nature:
“This is not working,” Bayless said. “I feel officially sorry for Luka Doncic because his coach Jason Kidd has said, ‘give me Kyrie, and in the clutch, down the stretch, with the game on the line, I want the ball in Kyrie’s hands’ (…). I have a strong feeling that Luka is not a happy camper. He’s not the man in Dallas anymore.”
“I have a strong feeling that Luka is not a happy camper. He’s not the man in Dallas anymore.”
— @RealSkipBayless pic.twitter.com/JqkcBG80AQ
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) March 1, 2023
All things considered, the Mavericks aren’t a better team with Kyrie; they’re actually more flawed.
No one can deny their offensive prowess or the fact that they could outshoot every single team on Earth.
But that’s not a winning formula come playoff time.
So, to sum things up, they gave up valuable assets for a rental on a guy that has proven to be unreliable and not trustworthy when it matters the most, all while taking the ball from their best player’s hands and most likely disgruntling him.
Mark Cuban might be one of the brightest businessmen on Earth, but basketball operations might not be his cup of tea.
NEXT: Pacers Coach Had A Hilarious Response To Reporter's Luka Doncic Question
