Mavericks' NBA Finals Odds Take Off After Kyrie Irving Trade

It's really hard to win an NBA championship with just one superstar these days. It's much easier to win a title with two, however, which is why the Dallas Mavericks went out and pulled off a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving on Sunday.

With Irving joining MVP candidate and nightly triple-double threat Luka Doncic in Dallas, the Mavericks became instant title contenders overnight. That was reflected in their NBA Finals odds as well, which improved from +1900 to +1400 on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Mavericks Finals Odds

For all of Irving's baggage and issues off the court, he's still one of the top players in the NBA between the lines. The eight-time All-Star and former NBA champ is still as productive as ever at age 30, averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Pairing Irving with Doncic gives Dallas the best backcourt in the NBA as well as a lethal 1-2 punch at the end of games. For all of Doncic's heroics, the Mavericks were still hovering around .500 (28-26) at the time of the trade.

Now that Doncic has a star running mate, however, Dallas' record should only improve as the season progresses. Irving's presence will also take some of the load and pressure off the banged-up Doncic, which will help keep him fresh for the playoffs as well.

The Mavericks desperately needed another superstar to get them over the hump. Now they have one, so time will tell if it's enough to take them all the way.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.