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All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving thrived on his debut for the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
In other news, Boston Celtics All-Star wing Jaylen Brown suffered a facial fracture on Wednesday after a collision with star teammate Jayson Tatum.
On that note, here’s the latest news from around the NBA as of Feb. 9, 2023.
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Kyrie Irving thrives in Dallas Mavericks debut
Kyrie Irving made a strong debut for the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night against the LA Clippers. Irving finished with 24 points, four rebounds, five assists, one steal, one block and four made 3-pointers on 52.9% shooting.
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The shorthanded Mavs, who were playing without superstar guard Luka Doncic, were able to come away with a 110-104 victory.
With the win, the Mavs improved to a 30-26 record and moved up to fourth in the Western Conference. After the game, Mavs coach Jason Kidd proceeded to rave about Irving’s leadership.
“Leadership is something that we’ve talked about,” Kidd said.
“I know he’s new but he’s a vet and these guys all look up to him, so his voice is important and they trust him.”
It’s only been one game, but so far so good for Kyrie Irving in Dallas.
Jaylen Brown suffers facial fracture versus Philly
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown exited Wednesday night's game against the Philadelphia 76ers with what was initially labeled as a facial contusion.
Brown sustained the injury after colliding with Jayson Tatum in the first half, with Tatum’s elbow hitting him directly in the face. He did not return to play any further part in the game.
Brown finished with just four points, two rebounds and three assists on 22.2% shooting. However, the Celtics were still able to pull off a 106-99 victory without him.
Following the game, The Athletic’s Shams Charania provided an update regarding Brown. Charania reported that Brown “has suffered a facial fracture and will miss some time.” He added that “Brown could be sidelined through the All-Star break.”
This is a tough blow for the Celtics, who are first in the entire NBA with a 39-16 record. Likewise, it's tough news for Brown, who was recently selected as an Eastern Conference All-Star reserve.
Brown has averaged 26.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.5 3-pointers per game on 48.7% shooting this season. It remains to be seen who the NBA will select to replace him in the upcoming Feb. 19 All-Star game.
Suns acquire Kevin Durant in blockbuster deal with Nets
In a surprise blockbuster move, the Phoenix Suns are acquiring superstar forward Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. In return, Brooklyn will receive forwards Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder as well as four first-round picks and a 2028 pick swap.
The four firsts, which will be conveyed in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029, are all unprotected. Phoenix will also receive forward T.J. Warren in the deal.
It was previously reported that the Nets planned on keeping Durant past Thursday’s trade deadline. KD has three years and $153 million left on his contract after this season, so Brooklyn had plenty of leverage.
However, Durant reportedly wanted a trade to Phoenix to go down, so the Suns pushed hard to get a deal done before the deadline.
He is currently out with a right MCL sprain and is not expected to return until after the All-Star break. However, Durant was playing as well as ever before his injury, averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.5 blocks per game on 55.9% shooting.
Once he returns, KD will now look to help Phoenix (30-26, fifth in the West) crawl back up the Western Conference standings.
Meanwhile, the Nets (32-22, fifth in the East) will now be able to rebuild around a collection of draft picks and young players. This includes Cam Johnson and Mikal Bridges, who are projected to be key building blocks for the team moving forward.
Johnson is averaging 13.9 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.5 APG and 2.6-3PG while shooting 47.4% and 45.5% from beyond the arc. Bridges is averaging 17.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.6 APG and 1.2 SPG on 46.3% shooting.
Lakers trade Russell Westbrook in three-team trade
The LA Lakers have agreed to a three-team trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Lakers will receive combo guard D'Angelo Russell from the Wolves as well as sharpshooter Malik Beasley and defensive forward Jarred Vanderbilt from the Jazz. Minnesota will receive guards Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Utah as well as picks.
Meanwhile, Utah will receive veteran guard Russell Westbrook as well as role players Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones. They will also get the Lakers’ top-four protected 2027 first-round pick.
If the pick is not conveyed in 2027, it will immediately convert into a 2027 second-round pick, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.
Russell and Beasley are expected to provide a shooting boost to the Lakers, who rank 26th in team 3-point percentage at 33.8%. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt should add some defensive versatility to LA’s frontcourt.
Russell is averaging 17.9 points, 6.2 assists and 2.7 3-pointers per game while shooting 46.5% and 39.1% from beyond the arc. He previously played two seasons for LA after being drafted No. 2 by the Lakers in 2015.
Beasley is averaging 13.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG and 3.1 3PG per game while shooting 39.6% and 35.9% from beyond the arc. Vanderbilt is averaging 8.3 PPG, 7.9 RPG and 1.0 SPG on 55.6% shooting.
As for the Wolves, Conley should provide them with a strong veteran presence in their locker room as well as a reliable playmaker. He has averaged 10.7 PPG, 7.7 APG, 1.0 SPG and 1.8 3PG while shooting 40.8% and 36.2% from beyond the arc this season.
The Jazz, meanwhile, are expected to buy out Westbrook. According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the Chicago Bulls and LA Clippers are two teams that are interested in the veteran point guard.
Westbrook is averaging 15.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG and 7.5 APG on 41.7% shooting this season.
The Timberwolves (30-28, eighth in the West), Jazz (27-29, 11th in the West) and Lakers (25-30, 13th in the West) are all separated by just 3.5 games. So the trade could significantly impact the play-in/playoff picture towards the bottom of the Western Conference.
Toronto Raptors acquire Jakob Poeltl from Spurs
Fresh off their 112-98 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, the Toronto Raptors are acquiring Spurs center Jakob Poeltl. In exchange, San Antonio will receive veteran center Khem Birch, a protected 2024 first-round draft pick and two future second-round picks.
This is according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Poeltl previously played two seasons in Toronto after being drafted No. 9 by the Raptors in 2016. He was then shipped to San Antonio as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade in 2018. However, the Raptors have shown interest in a reunion with Poeltl over the past few seasons as they lack a starting caliber big man.
Poeltl is averaging 12.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game on 61.6% shooting this season. He should be able to slot into the Raptors' starting five and help them fight for a playoff spot. Toronto currently sits 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 26-30 record.
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