4 Dallas Mavericks who improved their trade value in 2023

3. Kyrie Irving

There was plenty of worry when the Mavericks traded for Kyrie. It did not have to do with his on-court play, but his availability was questionable after a tumultuous four years in Brooklyn where he played in just 143 games. Irving kept producing All-NBA-worthy numbers, but the Nets could not rely upon him to be on the court.

It was a slight issue in Dallas as he missed five of his first 25 games with the Mavericks, which does not count the final two contests when the Mavs rested their roster in hopes of keeping their first-round draft pick. Kyrie produced otherworldly numbers, but it did not result in many wins.

The eight-time All-Star averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.3 steals in 38.2 minutes per game while shooting 51.0 percent from the field, 39.2 percent on his 3-point tries, and 94.7 percent from the foul line. If that is not enough, he played through a nagging foot injury.

Kyrie Irving is a superstar, and he proved it again after arriving in Dallas. The 6’2 guard led the NBA in fourth quarter scoring at 9.5 per game, which was nearly a full point better than Giannis Antetokounmpo, who finished second with 8.6.

Irving is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and there figures to be plenty of interest after his time in Dallas. If Kyrie wants to move on, the Mavericks must find a sign-and-trade that works for both teams.