NBA Free Agency: Kyrie Irving to Take Meetings With Mavs & Other Suitors
DALLAS — As the start of NBA free agency looms, Kyrie Irving remains the Dallas Mavericks' top priority. He will be eligible to sign a five-year deal worth $272.9 million if he re-signs with the Mavs. The biggest contract he could sign for with a different team would be a four-year deal worth $201.7 million.
Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds in 60 games during his 2022-23 campaign. He was acquired midseason by Dallas using a trade package that included Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, a 2029 first-round pick, and multiple second picks. He played out the final year of his contract and is set to enter free agency. Will he choose to re-sign with the Mavs after going 8-12 in the 20 games he played since his debut?
During an appearance on ESPN's "NBA Today" on Wednesday, Ramona Shelburne reported that Irving intends to meet with other NBA teams in addition to the Mavs after free agency opens. He desires to find a "home" that he can finish his NBA playing career with.
"Well, how do you get a max contract? You create leverage, and from what I'm told with sources close to this situation, he intends to take meetings when free agency opens. Now they have widely held expectations that he returns to Dallas, but what that contract looks like and what happens with these meetings that he intends to take when free agency opens is going to be very interesting.
"Now, what's important to Kyrie Irving? From what I'm told, he wants to find a place where he can spend the rest of his career as a place that feels like home," Shelburne explained. "And that's an interesting thing for a guy like Kyrie who's approaching a free agency where it's not really a lock for him to get that five-year max that the Dallas Mavericks are in a position to give him."
The Mavs are presently the only confirmed potential suitor with a legitimate path to acquire him, per NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski As a result, the "full expectation" remains that Irving will re-sign with the Mavs. What remains to be seen is the specific terms on Irving's next contract in terms of length and compensation.
"The market for Kyrie Irving [in terms of] legitimate places that he would leave Dallas for that makes sense [and] that are available to him [are] extremely limited," Wojnarwoski said. "Perhaps almost nil. I think the full expectation is that he returns to Dallas."
"The question will be, 'What kind of a deal does he go back on?' How many years on a contract? I don't think the money will be as much of an issue as how many fully guaranteed years there are for Kyrie Irving," Wojnarowski explained. "I think that's where the negotiation will be between him and the Mavericks. If he wants to maximize his money on this deal, the place to do that is in Dallas."
If the Mavs prove successful — as expected — in their efforts to re-sign Irving, the focus will quickly shift to bolstering the defense around him and Luka Doncic. Dallas already added rookies that projects as one day being helpful in that regard between Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, but more veteran talent is needed. It just remains to be seen how quickly a decision will be reached by Irving's side.
"I'm a free agent this summer, but I am in no rush to make a decision," Irving said during an Instagram Live earlier this offseason. "When [these media personalities] speak on my name and they're talking about potential teams that I'm going to, can y'all please — I respectfully, I'm asking you — stop paying attention to that."
Ultimately, Irving has to be sure of his free agency decision this summer. He is 31 and will be locked in for the remainder of the prime of his NBA playing career if he signs the long-term deal that he desires. Some among league circles have questioned if the best option would be for the superstar guard to sign a 3+1 deal to be lined up with Doncic's contract.
Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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