Feb 12, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) in action during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

NBA insider gives insight on Kyrie Irving's future with Mavericks

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks have an interesting dilemma coming up with All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. He has a player option on his contract this summer that he could opt out of, and he was well on his way to earning a massive payday before tearing his ACL on March 3rd against the Sacramento Kings, which is expected to keep him out until at least January according to the latest reports.

That could make for a fascinating summer, as despite the injury, Irving still has a lot of leverage. General Manager Nico Harrison's decision to trade away Luka Doncic midseason to the Los Angeles Lakers left the Mavericks with Kyrie Irving as the only above-average guard in the team's future, as Dante Exum and Spencer Dinwiddie are free agents this summer, Jaden Hardy has yet to break out as a consistent rotation player, and Brandon Williams is unproven.

Mavericks fans are already upset enough for losing Luka Doncic for what feels like a minimal return, losing Irving for nothing would lose the little fan support that's left.

NBA insider Marc Stein of the DLLS network reported the latest on Kyrie Irving's contract situation, stating, "Rumbles of a new three-year deal for Irving were fairly commonplace before the Dončić trade. The Mavericks' need for an elite guard like Irving is obviously even more acute now post-Dončić, resulting in the widely held expectation that Dallas will indeed re-sign the nine-time NBA All-Star in hopes of ultimately pairing Irving with Anthony Davis.”

Irving was well on his way to a max contract extension before the injury, but he still may be able to get it because of how desperate the Mavericks are currently. The pressure around the team is as high as it's ever been after trading Doncic to "win now" and completely missing the playoffs. They can't afford to let him walk in free agency or to let him go in a potential sign-and-trade. He loves it in Dallas and should become a great pairing with Anthony Davis once the two are healthy.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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