NBA Insider Speaks on Kyrie Irving, Mavs 'Handshake Deal' Before Free Agency
DALLAS — Since Jalen Brunson's departure to the New York Knicks last summer, the Dallas Mavericks were quickly placed into a position to find a new star running mate for Luka Doncic. The team capitalized on the opportunity to acquire Kyrie Irving using a midseason trade after his falling out with the Brooklyn Nets.
The Mavs made the trade knowing that Irving was in the final year of his current contract — making him a free agent in the offseason. He is eligible to sign a five-year, $272.9 million contract with the Mavs, but can earn up to a four-year, $210.1 million if he signs outright with another team.
“I don’t see any risk involved at all," Mavs general manager Nico Harrison said in February. "I've known Kyrie for a long time, I know his core, I know what what type of person is. I think anybody who's ever watched him play basketball knows the type of basketball player he is. So I don't see risk. I actually see a risk in not doing it.”
Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus had reported shortly after the NBA Scouting Combine in Chicago that his sources had heard of a "handshake deal" being agreed upon between Irving and the Mavs before the midseason trade.
"I hear they had a handshake deal before the trade [with the Brooklyn Nets]," one source said. "And Kyrie wouldn't have said yes to anything less than the max."
Pincus recently appeared on 105.3 The Fan to discuss his reporting about the Mavs. When describing the "buzz" he's heard about a possible "handshake deal" for the Mavs and Irving, Pincus made clear that it's not based on something he's heard directly from either the team or player's representation. Rather, it's something that people around the NBA have mentioned.
"I was at the NBA combine and spoke to a lot of different people, and so, I wouldn't want to put out, like these are — it's not the Mavericks. It's not, Kyrie or his people saying there's a deal done," Pincus said. "There's just the general buzz around the NBA that when they made the [midseason trade] that they pretty much had an understanding that they would keep Kyrie Irving and pay him to stay."
Pincus doesn't believe there has been any rule-breaking involved given the general sentiment behind Irving's desire to be traded was pretty obvious. A team wouldn't be making the trade to acquire him without the implied understanding of needing to pay him what he wants on his next contract. That's the cost of doing business by trading for an NBA All-Star playing out the final year of his deal.
"I wouldn't think in anything with Kyrie and I know that the Mavericks can't actually negotiate numbers, but teams tend to work around the rules without breaking them. And maybe they break 'em in spirit, but they stay within the lines," Pincus said. "So I wouldn't think that the Mavs have done anything untoward. I'm just saying, there's a reasonable likelihood that at least according to the people I speak to, that Kyrie will will be back."
When asked if it should be assumed that Irving is returning to the Mavs, Pincus made clear that as long as Dallas is willing to pay him a max deal, it's likely that the superstar re-signs. With the cap space teams being rebuilding organizations as opposed to being win-now teams, there isn't a sense that a big money offer would be available from an under-the-radar suitor.
"If the Mavericks are really willing to pay him up to the max, I think that's the heart of it," Pincus said. "It's a business and there's very few teams who can pay Kyrie what he can earn. And most of the teams that have the money are younger and are sort of rebuilding like the Spurs. ... That's the kind of team that has money, but it just takes one, there's been some buzz here."
Pincus, who is an Los Angeles based NBA reporter, shared his analysis that there isn't a reasonable path to the Lakers getting to max figure to offer Irving.
"I'm in L.A. with the Lakers and there's obviously the connection between Kyrie and LeBron. They played together, won together, but I don't see how the Lakers can get him to the max," Pincus said. "And if the Mavs are willing to pay him. I think that's probably the answer. For him, I don't want to say strictly money, but that's the driving factor.
"Most teams, most players want to go where they can get the most — they want the opportunity to help them the most financially, and then you go from there. For the teams, they want to win, but it's also business as well. So, they trade players left and right. So it's not like, you know, loyalty only goes so far in this league. Someone like Kyrie has been around long enough to know that, so I do think there are things like fit and chance to win and all that.
"But I also think, all things being equal because the best players in the world tend to think, 'wherever I go, we're going to win because I'm that good.' And, I'm not saying that from a cocky point of view, but from a talent — Kyrie is an all world talent still. So, if he goes anywhere, I think he thinks he has a chance to win."
When asked if he had to wager where Irving suits up to start next season, Pincus shared that he expects Irving to return to Dallas. Although, he doesn't encourage people to wager a big bet on Irving's decision given there is a history of him being unpredictable with big decisions.
"I think he stays in Dallas,'' he said. "That's the buzz. Kyrie is not someone I would bet a lot of money on, just on reliability. Again, not necessarily negative, but he is somebody who is a little unpredictable. ... I would put a bet on Kyrie staying, but I wouldn't put like a large bet just because, you know, nature of the situation."
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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