Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told Frank Isola and Justin Termine on SirusXM NBA Radio that the Mavs traded for Kyrie Irving last season with the intention of him being a long-term piece for the franchise.
Irving re-signed with the Mavericks on the first day of free agency on a three-year, $126 million contract. Irving’s new contract is guaranteed at $120 million and has $6 million in incentives tied to games played and team success.
Cuban was never worried about Irving leaving the Mavericks. He believes the point guard is “misunderstood.”
Irving averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 20 games with the Mavericks last season. He finished the 2022-23 season with averages of 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists while shooting 49.4% from the field, 37.9% from beyond the arc and 90.5% from the free-throw line with the Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks.
Irving only met with the Mavericks once free agency started on June 30. The Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat — three teams linked to Irving — were not interested in signing the eight-time All-Star. In fact, according to Heavy Sports insider Steve Bulpett, Irving didn’t have “anywhere else to go” in free agency.
“I don’t think he had anywhere else to go — not unless he wanted to give up a lot of money,” one league source told Heavy Sports. “I just think he tried to create a market for himself, like James Harden is trying to do and like Dame Lillard WILL do.”
Irving and Luka Doncic will be under significant pressure to make the playoffs next season in the rugged Western Conference. The Mavericks made the Western Conference Finals in 2022 but missed the postseason in 2023. Cuban wasn’t able to keep Jalen Brunson, who signed with the New York Knicks. He wasn’t going to make the same mistake with Irving.
Dallas won just 38 games in 2022-23. The team was only 5-11 in games Doncic and Irving played together. That was the worst winning percentage (.313) for a pair of teammates who were both All-Stars since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976-77, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Irving has career averages of 23.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Nets and Mavericks. He’s won one NBA championship and made three All-NBA teams.
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