Kyrie Irving posted what could be some good news for Dallas Mavericks fans on his Instagram page yesterday. The incoming free agent is set for a big-money contract this offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
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Getting Kyrie from the Brooklyn Nets was a high-risk move by Mark Cuban and the Mavericks’ FO. Having struck out on a number of big-name free agents, they opted to improve their star power by sacrificing their depth.
However, they suffered a late-season collapse despite their biggest trade acquisition in decades. Dallas lost 18 of their last 25 games to move from 4th to 11th in the Western Conference standings.
Much of the blame for 2 of their decisive losses against the Hornets could be put on Irving for underperforming. Despite being faced with a G-League caliber guard rotation, Irving put up duds in losses that effectively buried their chances of staying in the play-ins.
Mark Cuban made it clear, however, that his Mavericks would definitely pursue Irving this summer. Kyrie’s 4-year, $140 million contract from his 2019 free agency is set to expire.
Kyrie Irving, who could make as much as $272 million with the Mavericks, hints at a return
Irving posted a highlight reel of his season on his Instagram stories on Friday. The 8-time All-Star averaged 27 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds per game for Dallas in 20 games.
The Mavericks would certainly need to get Irving back as a free agent. They have $107 million committed in salaries, which means that they won’t be able to pursue any other max free agent available on the market. The 2023-24 NBA salary cap is projected to be around $132 million.
Many fans believed that even getting Irving to agree to a sign-and-trade deal would allow them to recoup some assets. Losing Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie has proved to be detrimental to their depth.
Even with Kyrie, the Mavs would need to find ways to improve their defense. Luka Doncic has been roundly criticized for his routine lack of effort and excellence at that end. Doncic is expected to finish outside of the All-NBA First Team for the first time in 4 years.
Does Irving really intend to make a comeback to Dallas?
The Duke one-and-done prospect has proven to have a dodgy track record when it comes to committing to teams long-term. Irving promised fans in Cleveland, Boston and Brooklyn that he’d retire with their team before bolting for another.
An Instagram story is far from any indication of Irving’s real thoughts on the matter. The real question, however, is how many teams with cap space would be willing to risk signing Irving.
His periodic disappearances, the anti-Semitic charges and his anti-vax stance contributed to him playing very few regular-season games over the past 4 years. He’s also caught the injury bug of late, missing time every year with niggles lasting weeks.
