The Dallas Mavericks face an important offseason ahead after failing to even qualify for the NBA play-in tournament. They went from being a team viewed as a potential threat in the Western Conference after becoming the only team with two All-Star starters, to getting fined $750K for tanking.
The top question facing the Mavs ahead of the offseason is Kyrie Irving’s future with the franchise. He was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick, and multiple second-round picks. Since Irving is an impending free agent, will he decide to stay with the Mavs?
It’s been reported by multiple national outlets that the Mavs have a favorable outlook to retain Irving. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne recently reported they “feel really good” about their odds of getting a deal done to keep him paired up with Luka Doncic. The details involve Irving’s previous desire for a four-year deal but the Mavs’ potential reluctance to go past three years. It may come down to leverage.
“When [Dallas] traded for [Kyrie], they had an option to sign him for a 2-year extension, he wants more than 2 years,” Shelburne said. “It may come down to whether or not they’re willing to go to that 4th year if he has leverage outside the Mavs.”
In terms of leverage, the Mavs do hold Irving’s Bird rights, and he would need their cooperation to facilitate a sign-and-trade. Such a maneuver would be required for many teams that are already well above the salary cap for next season.
On the other hand, Irving’s option of taking less and walking for nothing affords him leverage, too, especially with a team that lost Jalen Brunson for nothing in return just one year ago. The teams with salary cap space aren’t contenders, so he’d need to manufacture his possible landing spot, similar to how the Knicks created space to sign Brunson without a sign-and-trade.
The latest prediction from Bleacher Report is that Irving will stay with the Mavs on a three-year deal. The rationale is rather simple. Given how the Mavs cannot afford to allow a talent like Irving to walk away, leaving them with nothing, making it the logical outcome to simply pay him what’s needed to get such a contract agreement reached.
Irving, 31, will need to decide if he wants to commit his future to a Mavs organization limited with assets that have already struggled to build a suitable supporting cast around Doncic. While having a full training camp to build chemistry would undoubtedly be a major plus, Irving would have difficulty getting out of Dallas if he decided later that it’s not for him the longer the deal he signs.
The Mavs can discuss contract details with Irving as soon as the NBA Finals end, which is a change that was made in the latest CBA. What Dallas is willing to do will need to be made known before Irving is allowed to talk to other teams and will need to come correct, or there is a clear risk in him simply shopping his offer with other teams. If no offer is made altogether due to wanting to put the onus on the market to dictate price, that’s even worse.
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