Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said there was a distinct difference between last year when they traded center/power forward Kristaps Porzingis as opposed to this year when they traded for guard Kyrie Irving.
The Mavs were 32-23 when they traded Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Washington Wizards on Feb. 10, 2022 for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. The Mavs completed the rest of last season with a 20-7 record, then defeated the Utah Jazz in six games in the first round of the playoffs, and surprised the top-seeded Phoenix Suns in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals before losing to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors in five games in the conference finals.