Offseason Report Card: Mavericks get three As, two Cs, and an F for summer moves

4. Mavericks re-sign Kyrie Irving

When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving at the deadline this past year, it was with this move in mind. He was in the final year of his contract and set to be an unrestricted free agent, so they knew they would have to re-sign him.

Heading into the summer, all indications pointed toward Dallas being one of the only true suitors for the point guard, and in the end, that’s exactly how it all played out.

But shouldn’t that be a sign? Why were there no other teams showing a real interest in a guy who is an eight-time All-Star, a three-time All-NBA player, and one of the 20 best players in the league?

Well, because there are way too many unknowns when it comes to Irving.

The Mavericks are his fourth team in seven seasons, and while that doesn’t sound all that crazy, just take a look at how he exited from each situation.

He wanted to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers because he wanted to be the focal point. Then, after telling Boston Celtics fans he wanted to re-sign, he didn’t. Irving then requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets after three-and-a-half tumultuous seasons.

Don’t get it twisted, Irving is a phenomenal basketball player. He and Luka Doncic could so some special things together while wearing Mavericks uniforms. And the deal Irving signed wasn’t even all that bad (three years, $142 million), as he gave the Mavericks some financial wiggle room in the first year.

The Mavericks handcuffed themselves into making this move when they traded for Irving, but with his history, a three-year deal is definitely an iffy proposition.

Grade: C+