5 things Dallas Mavericks must do to keep Kyrie Irving in free agency

Dallas Mavericks need to make Kyrie Irving feel respected and welcome

Irving talked about feeling disrespected by the Nets after the trade to Dallas. He noted that he wants to be “celebrated not just tolerated” by his franchise, and the Mavs have an early head start in that area.

Kyrie has a long-term relationship with Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison from his days at Nike. The 30-year-old had one of the best signature shoe lines at the company before losing his sponsorship in Dec. 2022. Harrison is a big fan of Irving, and the two can work closely together in Dallas.

Irving idolized Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd growing up, and Uncle Drew was a Brooklyn Nets fan. He has talked about having a Hall of Fame coach and the advantages of being able to pick Kidd’s brain since arriving in Dallas. J-Kidd could be a significant factor in Kyrie’s free agency decision.

The Mavs need to use those long-term relationships and do everything they can to keep Kyrie Irving happy. Dallas finally has its second star, and they do not want to let him slip away because they are not keeping up the personal relationship.

Offering a max contract and keeping him happy may not even be enough for Irving. The 30-year-old works extremely hard on his game, and winning matters.