It’s safe to say after officially missing the postseason, the Dallas Mavericks’ attempt to pair two All-Star ballhandlers on the fly didn’t work out. Having gone 9-17 since trading for Kyrie Irving, there’s no telling where the Mavericks turn to next, but you can bet Luka Doncic, as the face of the franchise, won’t be going anywhere this offseason.
Yet, Irving has a $36.5 million player option he’s sure to decline, allowing him to enter unrestricted free agency. While the Mavericks suffered since the trade, despite being in a new atmosphere, Irving’s production came at an All-Star level.
- Kyrie Irving’s stats with Mavericks: 27 PPG, 6 APG, 5 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 51 FG%, 39 3PT%
There’s no questioning Irving’s talent. Despite Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban stopping short of declaring Irving a player worthy of a max-level contract, many other teams would likely disagree. The issue is cap space, as very few true contenders can afford to offer a contract worth as much as $45 million per year this offseason.
In turn, one NBA source who spoke to Bleacher Report indicated the Mavericks might be able to re-sign Irving largely due to a lack of leverage. One source wondered, “Where else is he going to go?” Another team employee agreed.
“Getting Irving to stay shouldn’t be a problem for the Mavericks.”
Anonymous NBA source on Kyrie Irving’s pending free agency
While it’s unclear what type of salary Irving would be looking at if he’s set to return to the Mavericks, anything less than a max contract would be a surprise for the 31-year-old eight-time All-Star. But we don’t expect Irving’s free agency to be that quiet.
Even the Los Angeles Lakers, who had plenty of interest before, could certainly get involved again. D’Angelo Russell isn’t signed past this season either, and LeBron James wouldn’t mind suiting up with Irving again as they both look to return to true contender status.
Players like Irving don’t enter free agency too often, so expecting the Mavericks to face little competition for his services seems like far too big of a risk for a player they parted with two starters and a first-round pick for. Keeping an eye on where Irving lands next should make for a fun summer in NBA free agency.
Related: NBA playoff predictions: Bracket picks & 2023 Finals champion