A Kyrie Irving trade would end badly but is it worth it for the Dallas Mavericks?

The Dallas Mavericks want a star next to Luka Doncic but is Kyrie Irving the answer?

The Mavs needed another ball-handler and playmaker the moment Jalen Brunson signed with the Knicks in free agency. They tried a few low-cost options that have not worked out. Irving would give them an elite ball-handler that is no stranger to running an offense and playing off a ball-dominant superstar.

This season, Kyrie is averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.8 blocks in 37.0 minutes per game. The 30-year-old point guard is a career 47.1 percent shooter from the field that has made 39.1 percent of his 3-point tries and 88.2 percent from the foul line. The Mavs have struggled to make their free throws this season, and Irving would instantly give them an elite scorer and foul shooter to close out games.

Beyond that, Kyrie won a championship in Cleveland playing off LeBron James, and he has shared the court with Kevin Durant and James Harden in Brooklyn. He knows how to play on or off the ball and is comfortable being the number two on a championship squad.

Trading for Kyrie Irving means paying him with a max contract in the offseason. He has played just 143 games in the last four seasons combined, but the 6’2 guard has zero interest in any contract that is not a guaranteed max. There are defensive concerns from Kyrie, but those are secondary to signing him long-term.