Nets finally unload a very talented headache in Kyrie Irving, but will always wonder, what if?

When Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant signed with the Nets in free agency in 2019, it was supposed to be the dawn of a new era.

Having moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn nearly a decade earlier. the franchise finally featured two bona fide superstars capable of leading the team to its first NBA championship.

Maybe even several.

When they traded for James Harden as the third member of the “Big 3″ early in 2021, Brooklyn had one of the most feared threesomes in NBA history. It seemed only a matter of time before they would contend for championship banners that would decorate the ceiling at Barclays Center.

But three and a half years after Durant and Irving spurned the Knicks and everyone else for the Nets, and two years after Harden joined the party, Durant is the only one remaining.

One year after dealing Harden to the rival Philadelphia 76ers for the under-whelming and under-performing Ben Simmons, the Nets on Saturday dealt Irving, the West Orange native and former St. Patrick HIgh School star, to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for a package of experienced players (former Net Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith), a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Irving will make his debut Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Clippers, per Woj.

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Nets owner Joe Tsai and GM Sean Marks finally parted ways with Irving, one of the most sublimely talented scorers and creative ball-handlers the league has ever seen — maybe the most talented.

Irving forced their hand and requested a trade after the Nets offered an extension that Irving’s camp did not find acceptable. The Mavericks will now pair Irving with another sublime talent in Luka Doncic, see how far they can go in the NBA playoffs and then decide from there whether to sign Irving to a long-term deal or let him fly in free agency.

Irving is said to be “ecstatic” about the deal and “looking forward” to joining forces with Doncic, per NBA Insider Chris Haynes. His daughter, Azurie Elizabeth Irving, was born in Dallas and reportedly lives there with her mother.

After all the headaches — the refusal to get vaccinated against COVID-19, the absence from games for personal reasons, the link to the anti-Semitic film Irving tweeted earlier this season, triggering an eight-game suspension, the non-stop distractions — can you blame Tsai and Marks for pulling the trigger?

The short answer is no.

But they and Nets fans will always be left to wonder, What if?

What if Irving, Durant and Harden had stayed together for a number of years? They went 13-3 in their brief time together. Heck, what if Durant and Irving just played out this season together once Durant returns from his MCL injury?

The possibilities of the Irving/Durant partnership will go down in sports history among the greatest What ifs ever.

– What if Drew Bledsoe never gets injured and Tom Brady never replaces him? Do the Patriots go on to become the model of NFL efficiency for close to two decades and win six Super Bowls with Tom Terrific?

– What if the Red Sox never trade Babe Ruth to the Yankees? Do the Red Sox end up winning all those World Series title with arguably the greatest player ever? Do the Yankees become the equivalent of “US Steel” with their dominance?

– What if Michael Jordan sticks with baseball and never goes back to the NBA? Does he become a solid MLB player? Do the Bulls never get their second three-peat?

OK, so maybe the Durant/Irving/Harden partnership isn’t quite on the Ruth/Brady/Jordan level, but it’s certainly cause for a huge ‘What If’ for the Nets brain trust and their fans.

There’s no way to know how this will all play, there are so many question marks.

– What will Durant’s reaction be? He’s one of the greatest players in NBA history and loves the game. He’s still signed for through the 2025-26 season, but will he buy in to the post-Irving Nets, or will he ask out again? Per Haynes, the Suns are “prepared to pursue” Durant should the Nets shop him and go for a total makeover/

– Will the Nets jell with veterans like Dinwiddie, who’s averaging 17.7 points and 5.3 assists, and Finney-Smith (9.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg) once Durant returns? The Nets have plenty of other solid role players in Nic Claxton, Joe Harris, Patty Mills, Seth Curry, Royce O’Neal and TJ Warren. They have enough to make a run in the postseason assuming Durant buys in? But how far?

***What becomes of Kyrie going forward? He’s now on his fourth team after the Cavaliers, Celtics and Nets. Will he keep his head down, avoid distractions (for now) and help lead the Mavericks on a deep run in the loaded West? Or will he cause more problems, more distractions, more sideshows in Dallas? And will the Mavericks like him enough to re-sign him to a max deal this summer?

It’s all up in the air, like a Kyrie alley-oop pass to Durant but this much is certain.

The Nets and their fans will be left wondering What if? for a very long time.

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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter who covers Seton Hall and NJ college basketball for NJ Advance Media. You may follow him on Twitter @AdamZagoria and check out his Website at ZAGSBLOG.com.

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