We’re just over a month away from the start of NBA free agency, where Kyrie Irving is set to be one of the best players available on the open market. The 31-year-old’s late trade to the Dallas Mavericks may not have gone the way anyone envisioned, but the organization also isn’t ready to move on after just a 20-game experiment.
The Mavericks are expected to do everything in their power to retain the eight-time All-Star, and they’re not even thinking about working with the point guard to find a sign-and-trade partner that would allow them to at least salvage some value before potentially losing him for nothing in free agency.
It’s a key issue, with the Los Angeles Lakers and likely several other teams hoping to position themselves to contend for Irving’s services this summer. Yet, as Tim Cato of The Athletic reports, the Mavericks “don’t plan to assist” any team in a sign-and-trade for Irving this offseason.
While Irving may have plans of reuniting with LeBron James in Los Angeles or joining a different competitive atmosphere elsewhere, the Mavericks hold his Bird rights, which means they can offer the former NBA championship winner more than anyone else.
In other words, the Mavericks have no plans of moving off from Irving, just months after acquiring him in a blockbuster trade. But who knows? Maybe if/when the front office is faced with the threat of Irving leaving the Mavericks in the dust with nothing to show for it, we see a change of heart that is more willing to negotiate a trade so they can salvage some value in the end.
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