Mavericks free agency: New teams could 'express an interest' in Kyrie Irving soon

By far the biggest storyline of the Dallas Mavericks’ offseason will be Kyrie Irving and his free agency.

The Mavericks took a big-time swing at this past season’s trade deadline, moving key assets for Irving, thus landing a new co-star for Luka Doncic.

Unfortunately, in the short term, things didn’t work out quite as well as the Mavericks might have hoped, as they missed out on the postseason. They didn’t even get into the Play-In Tournament.

However, that doesn’t mean they should give up on Irving. In fact, most reported indicate that Dallas is intent on bringing the star point guard back into the fold.

And while Irving is reportedly also interested in rejoining the Mavericks, he will have other suitors out there. During the #thisleague UNCUT podcast, Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report stated that he expects multiple teams to come out of the woodwork and express an interest in Irving.

"“I do think some teams are going to surface as far their interest in Kyrie, by next week. By next week, I think teams are going to surface and express an interest in Kyrie.”"

- Chris Haynes, #thisleague UNCUT

Irving will be one of the best free agents on the market this summer, meaning teams will undoubtedly be considering him as an option.

The teams who have enough cap space to bring him on board without Dallas’ help may not want him, though. These teams include the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, and Utah Jazz.

Then again, the Houston Rockets have cap space, and long-time NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required) reported that they could potentially be interested in Irving this summer.

But past the teams that could sign Irving outright, other teams around the league could still talk to Irving in hopes of convincing the Mavericks to make a sign-and-trade.

The Mavericks have reportedly been against the idea of sign-and-trading Irving, but if he forces their hand, then completing a deal of that nature would be infinitely better than losing the star guard for nothing.

A quick look around the league shows that there are some teams who could use a guy like Irving on the roster.

At first glance, the Miami Heat are an obvious one, fresh off a run to the NBA Finals. If James Harden leaves, the Philadelphia 76ers could potentially be interested, too. Teams like the Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, and Los Angeles Lakers also make sense as potential pursuers of Irving.

For the time being, it seems as though Irving is interested in returning to the Mavericks, and the feeling is clearly mutual. Getting a deal done without any hassle would be an ideal scenario for Dallas.

However, it sounds as though the drama could kick into high gear in the coming weeks as the offseason rolls on.