Kyrie Irving has put Mavericks in undesirable position ahead of free agency

Ever since Kyrie Irving was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to the Dallas Mavericks in February 2023, his time with the team has been nearly perfect. This move was considered a major risk at the time of the deal, but Nico Harrison didn't see any risk. He thought it would have been more of a risk to not make the trade, and that has proven to be true over the last few years.

Irving's career was rejuvenated with the Mavericks last season, and he helped the team reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. He has truly been playing some of the best basketball of his career as a Maverick, but his off-court activity has been just as impressive. Irving has been an outstanding role model for the younger generation ever since he stepped foot in Big D, and the city has loved him ever since he was traded to Dallas.

While the city's love for Irving has been well-documented, the same can be said about Irving's love for Dallas. He has gotten involved in the community, embraced the city, and stayed out of negative headlines for his entire Mavericks career. He has matured tremendously over the last few years, and now with Luka Doncic on the Los Angeles Lakers, he is the new top dog in Dallas and all eyes are on him.

While Anthony Davis may be the better player at this point in his career, Irving is the clear leader of the team, and he is someone who Nico Harrison wants to build around. Irving is more than capable of leading a team, but with Doncic gone, Harrison and company are going to enter an interesting situation with him this summer.

Kyrie Irving has all the leverage in the world entering free agency

Irving has a $43.96 million player option this offseason that he will almost certainly opt out of, and he has all the leverage in the world when it comes to negotiating a new contract. Harrison has made it clear that he wants to win right now, and without Irving, they would have to start all over again and find a new star to pair with Davis.

ESPN's Bobby Marks recently published a story about this summer's NBA free agency, and they took a poll of anonymous executives and asked them who they thought had the most leverage, and the executives unanimously picked Irving (subscription required). These executives mentioned the Doncic trade as a main reason that he has so much leverage, and talked about how Harrison's vision of pairing Irving with Davis for years to come is only going to give the star guard even more leverage.

If Irving opts out of his deal, he is eligible for a five-year, $313 million deal, but Marks noted that the "most logical" option is a three-year, $176 million deal that lines up with the end of Davis' contract. Re-signing Irving undoubtedly needs to be the team's No. 1 priority this summer considering it seems like Dallas is going all in on their duo of Irving and Davis, and fans may be stunned when they see how much money he will be able to command in free agency.

While recent reporting has revealed that Irving intends to remain a Maverick into the future, this still doesn't mean that the Doncic trade didn't complicate everything when it comes to these upcoming negotiations. Irving is the only stellar ball handler on the team, and without him, Dallas' offense would crumble. All of the pressure would then lie on Davis' shoulders, and Harrison's ultra-aggressive move to trade Doncic would look even worse.

The Mavericks would not be in a position to contend over the next few years if Irving were to opt out and sign elsewhere, and Harrison's plan to go win a title right now would be thrown into the garbage. Dallas needs Irving badly, especially with Doncic gone, and this summer could be much more stressful for the Mavericks than fans realize.

Their window to win a title is right now, and Irving must play a big part in that. He is the heart and soul of the team, and Dallas will find themselves in a predicament this summer, as they are almost forced to pay him whatever amount he desires. Dallas also can't afford to lose him for nothing, as they did with Jalen Brunson in the summer of 2023, and time will tell how they decide to handle Irving's contract negotiations.

Irving has proven that he deserves a lucrative contract with the Mavericks through his professionalism and excellence on and off the floor in Dallas, and a surprise deep playoff run this season would further justify that. His role will shift without Doncic by his side, but he has shown time and time again that he can handle adversity and is built for big moments.

Many fans will likely be shocked when they see the number on Irving's contract if he indeed opts out of his current contract and re-signs with Dallas, and the leverage that he has entering this summer is at an all-time high.