Mavericks rumors: Head coach Jason Kidd on Kyrie Irving’s upcoming free agency

The Dallas Mavericks are facing a massive offseason, and it all starts with Kyrie Irving. They gave up two key starters and three draft picks to acquire the eight-time All-Star in February, but things did not go as planned. Dallas lost 18 of their final 25 games to miss the playoffs, and Irving now heads into unrestricted free agency.

Rumors suggest the Mavs are favored to re-sign him, but it is no guarantee. Irving is free to join any team, and he plans on exploring his options this summer. Dallas made re-signing him their top priority, but the franchise said the same thing about Jalen Brunson last summer. Fans know how that turned out.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd appeared on Headlines with Rachel Nichols where he discussed a host of topics from his Hall of Fame career. On the episode, he was asked about Kyrie and his upcoming free agency, and Kidd had plenty to say.

Mavericks rumors: Head coach Jason Kidd on Kyrie Irving’s upcoming free agency

Jason Kidd talked about the challenges in coaching Kyrie, and how he has done it differently than others before the topic of Irving’s free agency came up. The Hall of Famer had this to say about the two sides agreeing to a new deal.

"I think he truly is happy here. I think he wants to be here, but that doesn’t guarantee us that he’s going to stay. He has the option and the opportunity as a professional to look elsewhere because he is a free agent, and I don’t want to take that away from him, being a player who was in that situation. We are going to do everything to keep him. At the end of the day, it is his decision. We will see what that is, but at the end, we hope that we’ve done everything to make him comfortable and want to be a Mav for life."

Fans can hear Kidd’s full comments on Kyrie below.

The Mavs' focus since acquiring Kyrie has been making him comfortable and wanting to stay long-term. The eight-time All-Star had a tumultuous four-year stint in Brooklyn, but he avoided the drama in Dallas, despite the team’s struggles. Could he truly be happy with the Mavericks? He has longstanding relationships with coach Kidd and Mavs general manager Nico Harrison. Harrison was a key figure at Nike during Kyrie’s partnership with the shoe brand.

Irving’s free agency is massive for the Dallas Mavericks. They cannot afford to lose their second-best player for nothing two years in a row. Dallas has to convince Kyrie to stay before upgrading their roster around their superstar duo. If Irving leaves in free agency, the team's doomsday scenario could play out before fan's eyes.

What moves do the Dallas Mavericks make this summer? Can they acquire enough talent to jump back into contention? Does Kyrie Irving commit to staying in Dallas long-term? All of those questions will be answered soon, so stay tuned for all the latest.