Former Maverick Urges Kyrie Irving to Opt Out of $43.2M Player Option, Explore Magic and Rockets in Free Agency

Amid the Dallas Mavericks’ disastrous situation and Kyrie Irving’s season-ending ACL tear, Chandler Parsons believes Irving should explore his options this summer. With a $43.2 million player option that he can decline, Kyrie would have the chance to sign a lucrative short-term deal with a more competitive franchise.

Parsons stressed that if he were the nine-time All-Star’s agent, he’d be finding a way to get Irving to either the Orlando Magic or Houston Rockets. Both are young, up-and-coming squads but similarly lack a star point guard. Kyrie could potentially take either team from playoff hopefuls to contention status.

Parsons claimed that Irving should opt out of his hefty player option in favor of looking elsewhere for one more massive contract. Whether it’s with the Mavericks or not, Parsons believes Irving’s top priority should be locking in a deal for the twilight years of his stardom.

Orlando and Houston have much rosier outlooks than Dallas at the moment, but Lou Williams questioned whether those teams would be willing to take a gamble on a 32-year-old coming off an ACL injury.

It will likely be two seasons before Irving is back to his normal self and free agent suitors will have to decide if taking the chance is worth it.

“Kyrie Irving will be on the Magic or the Rockets next year.” @ChandlerParsons urges Kyrie (and his agent) to opt-out of his contract with the Mavericks so he can join a team with a bright future that needs a point guard pic.twitter.com/JShzAAU4tg

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) March 5, 2025

Even with Kyrie’s long-term absence, though, it appears the Mavs are still committed to their star point guard. He was originally entrusted to lead Dallas to the promised land once the franchise parted ways with Luka Doncic.

Nico Harrison stressed Kyrie’s importance to the Mavs

While he clearly didn’t have the same opinion of Doncic, Nico Harrison described Kyrie’s importance to the Mavs in a heartfelt statement following his injury.

Harrison called Irving “the heart and soul of the team” in his statement, reinforcing his loyalty to the veteran playmaker even during this rough stretch. He even went on to praise Irving’s insatiable work ethic, comparing him to Kobe Bryant.

“His work ethic and absolute dedication to his craft, it’s cut from the cloth of greats. I know it, I lived it, and I see the same ferocity and passion in him that I saw in Kobe,” Harrison said of Irving.

The Mavs GM’s strong statement insinuates he hasn’t given up on Irving or his original plan to build the Mavs into contenders. As of now, it appears Harrison will do everything in his power to keep both Kyrie and Anthony Davis playing together in Dallas.