Mavericks' real plan for Kyrie Irving exposed in high-stakes free agency rumor

After having sky-high expectations to begin the regular season after reaching the NBA Finals last season, the Dallas Mavericks' 2024-25 campaign is over following a 120-106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament last Friday night.

Despite Anthony Davis erupting for 40 points and nine rebounds, the rest of Dallas' roster was far too quiet offensively to secure a win over Memphis. Two Mavs starters, P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II, scored zero points in this game, and it was clear that Dallas missed their offensive engine, Kyrie Irving.

Irving has been out since the beginning of March after tearing his ACL against the Sacramento Kings, and it was obvious that the Mavericks were only a shell of themselves with him out of the lineup. He has become a fan favorite in Dallas ever since he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Mavs before the 2023 trade deadline, and this summer potentially brings along his second free agency as a member of the team, as he has a $43.96 million player option.

Mavericks rumored to be planning a new deal for Kyrie Irving

After the 2022-23 season, Irving signed a three-year deal to remain in Dallas, even after they missed the playoffs and some fans and many media members alike doubted his on-court fit next to Luka Doncic, and all signs are currently indicating that another massive three-year contract is likely on the way for him this summer if he were to opt out of his player option and become a free agent.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, "rumbles of a new three-year deal for Irving were fairly commonplace before the Dončić trade," and now that Luka Doncic is gone, the Mavericks' need for a star guard to pair with Davis is even clearer.

Stein continued, discussing how it is expected that the Mavs will re-sign Irving this summer and that Nico Harrison has a "fondness" for him. It looks extremely likely that Irving remains in Dallas moving forward, as it would be a major blow to lose Doncic and Irving back to back, and it seems like Mavericks fans can take a breath of fresh air when it comes to the 33-year-old star guard.

While Irving had all of the leverage in the world heading into this summer's free agency before Dallas traded Doncic, considering they had no other elite guard help, he may not have as much leverage as initially expected since he is going to miss a good chunk of next season after tearing his ACL. This injury will make this summer a bit more complicated for Harrison and company when it comes to figuring out a fair contract for him, but it still sounds like they have their sights set on keeping him a Maverick.

It also remains clear that Irving has enjoyed his time with the Mavericks, and he has been the clear voice of the locker room ever since arriving in Dallas. The Mavericks getting Irving signed to a new deal should be the team's No. 1 priority heading into the offseason (if he does indeed opt out of his player option), and we'll have you covered with all the latest.