5 Kyrie Irving sign-and-trades to boost the Dallas Mavericks' title odds

Outside of the Kevin Durant trade, which was almost directly connected to the Kyrie Irving deal, the Dallas Mavericks made the biggest deal of the 2022 NBA trade deadline.

Trading for Irving came as a major shock to everyone, as most expected him to land with the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, the Mavericks took a chance on him in an attempt to get Luka Doncic help. In the deal, Dallas gave up Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected first-round pick, and two second-rounders in exchange for Irving and Markeiff Morris.

In theory, a trade like that should have improved the Mavericks’ championship odds, but by the end of the season, injuries, a poor defense, and overall inconsistencies led to Dallas missing out on the postseason entirely.

Dallas Mavericks face questions as Kyrie Irving heads into free agency

After their ultimate failure, many questioned whether or not the Irving trade was a mistake. In the short term, it didn’t pan out, and in the long term, there are no guarantees, either.

While there’s a chance Irving returns to the team and develops a nice chemistry with Doncic, in turn, making a push for the postseason. However, Irving will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, meaning he is free to sign with any team he chooses. And if he wants to, he could leave the Mavericks without Dallas getting anything in return.

In an attempt to avoid that, the Mavericks would be forced to at least explore sign-and-trade opportunities. If Irving’s interest in staying wanes, it would be their best pathway toward creating a new title contender.

With that in mind, here are five Irving sign-and-trades that could help boost the Mavericks’ championship odds.