Part Two: The Case Against Trading Dennis Smith Jr. for Kyrie Irving

If the Dallas Mavericks selected the “steal” of the draft, should they consider trading him for Kyrie Irving?

Disclaimer:This is a two-part series of speculation based off the ESPN Report that Kyrie Irving has requested a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers. I am arguing against the trade in this part while arguing for the trade in the first part.

“Thunderous” was the word Rick Carlisle used in describing the celebration that took place when Dennis Smith Jr. was available for them to pick with the 9th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

The war room was excited. The media next to the war room was excited. The fan base was excited. More importantly, Dennis Smith Jr. was excited to get to work as a Dallas Maverick.

Projected by Carlisle on draft night as the starting point guard of the team, Smith Jr. went to the Las Vegas Summer League and showed everyone around the league that he is the steal of the draft.

Smith Jr. appeared in six games where he averaged 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He seemed to control the pace of the game and displayed playmaking abilities scouts really didn’t get to see at N.C. State much.

But his athleticism was obviously the main subject of the hype.

Smith Jr. was named to First Team honors in Vegas, but more importantly, became the odds on favorite of many to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Dallas finally has their point guard of the future. A 19-year-old kid with a solid head on his shoulders that possesses a 48 inch vertical. He can score from anywhere on the court and can get into the paint at will.

Why on Earth would you trade that if you are a rebuilding team?

Here are three reasons I would not trade Dennis Smith Jr. for Kyrie Irving.

1.) Smith Jr. Could End Up Being Better Than Irving

Yes, Irving has as good as accolades as any and he has just been in the league for six seasons. But at 19 years old, Smith Jr. is already showing glimpses of being a superstar in the league.

Irving is considered by many to be a top 20 player in the game, but why not a top ten or five? Mainly because of his defense and lack of playmaking in Cleveland. This obviously has something to do with playing alongside of James in Cleveland, but Irving does have his deficiencies.

Smith Jr. has the potential to be just as good of a scorer as Irving with the time to be better than Irving on defense and as a pure point guard in Dallas’ system.

Smith Jr. also has the athleticism that Irving never had. Although he measures out really similar to Irving, he has the bounce of a Russell Westbrook.

Irving is an elite offensive player, but if this is the peak of Irving’s career, Smith Jr. has time to grow into a better overall player later in his career.

2.) You’re Not Beating The Warriors

Lets face it. Trading Smith Jr. for Irving would be a win now move for sure, but the only problem is that you’re not going to “win now”.

A core of Irving, Barnes, Curry, Noel, and Nowitzki would be a nice playoff team to watch, but they wouldn’t get close to the Warriors in the playoffs.

So why give up a potential elite 19-year-old point guard to finish 3-7 in the West standings over the next couple of years? Playing the long game is the smartest road to take if you are not a juggernaut in the West.

3.) Stay On Course

Dallas changed up their free agency plan this summer as they shifted their focus on re-tooling and saving cap space for next summer. They got their next centerpiece in Smith Jr. and didn’t hand out a stupid contract in free agency.

Suddenly, the path that Dallas has set out on is starting to come to light.

Going forward, you have a young core in Smith Jr. (19), Noel (23), Barnes (25), and Curry (26). You surround this young core with veterans such as Dirk Nowitzki and Wesley Matthews and then you have a young core that is growing alongside of veteran leadership.

With the roster currently constructed, the young core in Dallas doesn’t look like a playoff worthy team and could challenge some other teams in the league for a top 4-8 pick in next years draft. We have seen firsthand the importance of draft picks both for building the roster and financially on cheap contracts.

While the rest of the league looks to clog up their cap space, Dallas looks to be one of the few teams armed with a ton of cap space next summer. Combine that with another top ten draft pick (potentially in the top five), and Dallas’ quick re-tooling deserves some Executive of the Year votes for Donnie Nelson.

Can you imagine adding a player like Michael Porter Jr. to this young core with the financial ability to go out and sign a bigger name free agent?

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Then you ask yourself some simple questions regarding adding Irving to your team.

-Since he wants his “own team”, would he buy into the system under Rick Carlisle?

-With his defensive deficiencies, would you have to constantly try to hide him on every given night on the defensive side of the ball?

-Would his personality fit in Dallas?

-He’s under contract for two years, what if he bolts after that after giving up almost a guaranteed eight years of Dennis Smith Jr.?

If Dallas was a ‘Kyrie Irving’ from legitimately competing for a NBA Championship, then you make the deal. But the team isn’t close during the current re-tool and it wouldn’t be worth giving up the potential superstar in Smith Jr.

Next: Dallas Should Thank New York

Kyrie Irving is a GREAT offensive player, but for the timeline Dallas is on and the potential oozing from Smith Jr., the Mavericks should build around Smith Jr. and call it a day.