Luka Doncic builds up his duo with Kyrie Irving, evaluates Kevin Durant trade / News - Basketnews.com

Luka Doncic calls Kyrie Irving the best ball handler ever in the game and glues the favorite status to the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference after the Kevin Durant trade.

Credit: AP, Getty Images via AFP-Scanpix Credit AP, Getty Images via AFP-Scanpix

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic gave his first extended comments since the Mavs made the blockbuster trade that saw Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and multiple picks going to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris.

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"We'll obviously miss them [Finney-Smith and Dinwiddie] here, but Kyrie's Kyrie, man," Doncic told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. "NBA champion. Probably the best ball handler ever in the game. Amazing player, and he's going to be fun to play with."

Since transferring to Dallas, Irving has already proved that he is still one of the best point guards in the league by guiding the Mavs to two wins in as many games.

Kyrie scored 24 points in his Dallas debut vs. the Los Angeles Clippers and dropped 25 against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

"I never played with a guy like Kyrie, so it's obviously going to be a work in progress," Doncic said of building the connection. "But I think it's going to be fine. We both can play on the ball. For me, I think it's going to be a learning process, for sure. Outside of my first season, I didn't play off the ball. But with a guy like him, it's going to be different."

The Mavs weren't the only team in the Western Conference to make a trade for a superstar before the deadline. The Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant a few days after Dallas made its blockbuster deal.

"Big move," Doncic assessed Phoenix's move. "Probably the favorite in the West, right?"

Asked how he likes the Mavs' odds of winning the West, Doncic said: "I never do these rankings and that stuff. That's for the other people. I believe in my team, that's it."

Luka has recovered from a heel injury and is set for a return on Saturday when Dallas meets Sacramento in back-to-back games.

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