Kyrie Irving's hyped protégé is playing himself right off the Mavericks

Brandon Williams is playing some of his best basketball of the season recently, and his asking price may end up being way too high for the Dallas Mavericks to keep him in free agency this summer.

Williams became a fan-favorite at the end of last season in Dallas, and many fans are starting to know him as a mini-Kyrie Irving due to his unique playstyle. Irving took Williams under his wing last season, and it has yielded real results.

Irving is someone that Williams can rely upon for anything, and even though Irving hasn't played a game this season, he has been a key component of Williams' growth.

Dallas may not be able to keep its biggest spark plug

Williams finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal while shooting 7-10 from the field in a win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night, and these types of performances are becoming normal for the fourth-year guard. He is averaging 19.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game while shooting 59.2 percent from the field, and these types of big games off the bench are playing himself off the Mavericks.

Williams will become a restricted free agent after this season, and with Dallas already set to pay Ryan Nembhard soon, they may not have room to pay Williams as well. They are also paying Jaden Hardy $6 million annually through at least the end of next season, making their backcourt even more crowded.

Dallas would likely like to dump Hardy's contract in a trade if they got the chance, but that doesn't mean they're going to be able to. He has been in and out of Jason Kidd's dog house for a few years now, and it's gotten to the point where he isn't even getting real minutes when everyone is healthy, despite the Mavericks' need for more shooting.

His contract has quietly become one of the Mavs' most negative assets, and the team option on his contract after next season can't come soon enough for Dallas.

Williams, on the other hand, is on an extremely team-friendly deal this season.

Having players on cost-efficient contracts is everything in today's NBA, and Williams has played himself into a much bigger deal ahead of next season. He is worth far more than the $2.27 million he is earning right now, and finding a way to keep him should be a priority for the Mavs moving forward.

Williams has emerged as Jason Kidd's lead point guard off the bench, and he often ends up playing more than Nembhard. His speed, slashing, and energy give the Mavericks a unique look that can change the game, and teams from around the league have to be noticing this at this point.

Every team looking to make a deep playoff run needs a bench guard who can provide a spark and highly impact the game in short spurts, and that's exactly what Williams does. He prioritizes paint touches on nearly every possession, and this helps lead to open looks from downtown for his teammates.

His game is coming together at the perfect time, but he may be playing too well for Dallas to keep him for the extended future.

The Mavericks are exploring the trade markets for players like Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, Klay Thompson, and Daniel Gafford, and Williams could end up being a hot commodity as well. Any team looking to make a deal with Dallas could push for Williams to be included in the trade, as his expiring contract is a low-risk and potentially massive reward.

If the money doesn't match up in the prospective trades that the Mavericks are trying to make with teams around the league, they could easily add Williams to the deal as a sweetener.

He is turning into an indispensable piece off Dallas' bench, and Mavericks fans will be crossing their fingers that he can remain in this role beyond this season.