The three-year, $126 million contract Kyrie Irving signed to return to the Dallas Mavericks earlier in NBA free agency was somewhat of a surprise.
Irving, 31, received less than the max despite his status as an eight-time All-Star and one of the best point guards in the NBA. On the other hand, Dallas seemed to be bidding against itself due to his off-court antics in recent years.
We now have some more information on Irving’s contract courtesy of Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. It includes a 15% trade kicker.
The explanation of what this means is rather simple. Any team looking to trade for Irving throughout the remainder of his contract would be on the hook for 15% more than what his contract value is. It protects Irving in the off chance that the Mavericks sour on the NBA champion and look to trade him. It could also deter other teams from pulling the trigger on a potential trade.
Irving’s camp attempted to set into motion the belief that other teams were interested in him leading up to the start of NBA free agency. That included a reported meeting with the Phoenix Suns, who had absolutely no capability of adding him on a market value after acquiring high-priced guard Bradley Beal in a trade with the Washington Wizards earlier in the offseason.
Related: Kyrie Irving and the NBA’s highest-paid players of 2023
Kyrie Irving contract with the Dallas Mavericks tells us a story
Since his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2016-17, Irving has suited up with the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks. In addition to a drama-filled exit from Cleveland, the former No. 1 pick created issues with the Celtics and Nets before a divorce became the name of the game.
By receiving this 15% trade kicker, Irving’s camp is acknowledging these past issues while attempting to create some sense of continuity for the embattled guard moving forward.
Dallas struggled big time after acquiring Irving from the Nets at the in-season NBA trade deadline. It ended up missing the Play-In Tournament altogether as the guard struggled to mesh with franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic.
Despite this, general manager Nico Harrison is attempting to run it back with the two All-Stars. Dallas has primarily filled in the margins of its roster by adding Seth Curry and Grant Williams, among lesser-known players, to the mix. It’s obvious that the team is relying on the Irving-Doncic pairing to work moving forward.