Kyrie Irving was going to meet with other teams, try to create (fake) leverage, flirt with everyone and go through the motions of free agency. Then the offer from the Mavericks hit the table and he knew that was as good as it would get.
As expected, Irving has agreed to re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks. The only questions were years and money, and that settled at not the max he hoped but not bad — three years, $126 million, with the final year being a player option. Shams Charania of The Athletic was first.
Free agent Kyrie Irving has agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract to return to the Dallas Mavericks, with a player option in third season, @TheAthletic @Stadium learned.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 30, 2023
That deal may come as a surprise and be considered an overpay to those outside Dallas, but for a team needing to win — one who saw Irving average 27 points a game with an insane 63.4 true shooting percentage, plus dish out six assists a night — and considering the NBA’s new financial landscape, this is a fair deal. So long as Irving comes to work.
DA11AS 🤞🏾♾❤️
— Chief Hélà 🤞🏾 (@KyrieIrving) July 1, 2023
Irving’s camp was set to meet – and made sure it was pubic they were set to meet — with the Phoenix Suns and other teams in a rather naked attempt to create leverage. Those meetings never happened as Irving and the Mavericks agreed to a deal 45 minutes after free agency opened.
While Kyrie Irving had planned earlier in the day to meet with several teams about free agency, Dallas' 3-year, $126 million offer changed those plans. "We planned to take the meetings but decided that Dallas would be our place," his agent Shetellia Riley Irving told @CBSSports.
— Bill Reiter (@sportsreiter) June 30, 2023
This keeps Irving paired with Luka Dončić in one of the best backcourts in the NBA. Dallas put up points when that duo was on the court together, but the Mavericks’ lack of defense saw them fade down the standings and eventually tank the final couple of games to miss the play-in and hold on to their No. 10 pick in the NBA Draft (which they traded down a couple of spots to get Dereck Lively II out of Duke).
The Mavericks made a big bet on Irving he could be the right running mate with Dončić. Irving has work to do if he wants a broader market for his services than what he saw this offseason. This was a marriage where they both needed each other. Now we’ll see if they can make it work.
