Has Kyrie Irving played his last game for the Dallas Mavericks?

The Dallas Mavericks decided to throw in the towel on this season ahead of Friday’s game against the Bulls. They had to win their final two games and get help to make the Play-In Tournament, but Dallas selected losing to vastly increase their lottery odds. The Mavs owe their 2023 first-round pick to the Knicks if it falls outside the top ten, so Dallas clung to tenth by resting Kyrie Irving and others against Chicago.

The Mavs enter an offseason of uncertainty with significant improvements needing to be made and limited assets available to make them. Luka Doncic hates losing, and fear exists that a trade demand could come as soon as 2024 if their roster does not improve. Dallas cannot afford to lose number 77, so they have to make things happen now.

Their offseason starts with a decision on Kyrie. The eight-time All-Star’s time in Dallas did not go as planned so far, but will he be back? Irving has a decision to make this summer, and it will be a key piece of Mavs' future. Has he played his last game with Dallas?

Kyrie Irving becomes unrestricted free agent: No guarantee he stays with Dallas Mavericks

The Mavs knew when they traded for Kyrie that he would become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and the two sides agreed to table extension talks until the offseason. Irving will be free to sign with any team in July. The Mavericks gave up two starters and three draft picks for a rental, but one that they hoped would turn into a long-term second star next to Luka Doncic.

The experiment has fallen flat so far. Since the duo’s first game together, the team went 7-17 and slipped from fourth to 11th in the Western Conference. There is plenty of blame to go around, including injuries and ineffective play, but those are facts. On top of everything else, there are questions about the two superstar’s fit after the disastrous end to a wild and unexpected season.

Will Kyrie return amid Luka Doncic stating that he is unhappy, the team’s late-season collapse, and the questionable fit? Only Irving knows for certain, but here is a look at the team’s plans, what Kyrie might want in free agency, and the odds that the eight-time All-Star is back with the Mavs next season.

Re-signing Kyrie Irving is Dallas Mavericks top priority this offseason

Owner Mark Cuban made it clear during his impromptu press conference on April 5 that the team wants to keep Kyrie.

"I'd love to have him. I want him to stay for sure, and I think we have a good shot. I think he's happy here. He tells me he's happy here, and I get along great with him. I think he's a good guy. All I can tell you is everything I thought I knew about Kyrie because of everything I read was 100% wrong."

Irving has not caused drama during his time with the Mavericks unlike he did in Brooklyn, but the team has not won. Even when healthy, Dallas was just 5-11 when both Luka and Kyrie played during their brief time together. There were plenty of close games, and the Mavs offense was not the problem. Dallas could not get stops, and the superstar duo struggled to figure out how to play off each other in crunch time.

Are the Mavericks' woes a quick fix? They certainly need to add rebounding, rim protection, and strong perimeter defense if they want to get back to the playoffs in 2024, but mostly, Dallas cannot afford to lose Kyrie with zero coming back in return.

The Mavs lost their second-best player and got zero in return last summer. This time letting their number two option walk in free agency would actually have cost them two starters, one first-round draft pick, and two second-round selections. A hefty price to pay for two awful months with Irving on the roster.

The Dallas Mavericks have to find a way to keep Kyrie Irving, but the situation remains complicated.

Kyrie Irving wants a max contract but will Dallas Mavericks give it to him?

Part of Kyrie’s trade request out of Brooklyn just two months ago centered on the Nets not giving him an extension. The eight-time All-Star believes he is a max player, but Brooklyn was not willing to offer the maximum years after he played 152 of 289 possible games during his time with the team.

The Mavericks have the ability to outbid every franchise in free agency. They acquired his Bird rights in the trade meaning Dallas can offer a fifth season and more than $270 million total to Kyrie. In free agency, the superstar can only get four years at just north of $210 million per Forbes.

Irving is 31 years old with questionable availability and a history of ugly exits from his franchises. Are the Mavericks willing to give him a five-year max contract? Is any team willing to offer him a four-year max in free agency? Teams would prefer a shorter deal to limit the risk, but it only takes one to sign him.

The Dallas Mavericks are going to have to outbid the market if they want to keep Kyrie, but they might not do it, according to Mark Cuban.

Mark Cuban stopped short of saying Dallas Mavericks would outbid others for Kyrie Irving

Dallas can outbid the others in free agency. They have the power of an extra season and $60 million more to sway Kyrie’s decision, but will they use it? Here is owner Mark Cuban’s answer to if the Mavs could outbid other teams.

"I don't know. I guess there's always too high a price, depending, but now with the new CBA, it's a different world."

The NBA and its Player Association agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement just days ago, and everyone is still trying to figure out the details. It is more punitive for the highest spending teams, which is likely what Cuban was referring to here, but not the strongest endorsement from the owner who must build a title contender around Luka Doncic before it is too late.

Cuban did give an injured Kristaps Porzingis a max contract in 2019 just four months after trading for him. That did not work out as planned, but the 64-year-old billionaire is willing to spend on star talents.

The Dallas Mavericks cannot afford to let Kyrie Irving walk in free agency. They must re-sign him or recoup value via a sign-and-trade. It is unlikely the Mavs get back every cent that they paid for the eight-time All-Star, but they must get something meaningful. Luka wants to play with a second star, and that only makes re-signing Kyrie worth every penny as long as Dallas improves their roster with it.

Will Kyrie be back with the Dallas Mavericks next season?

Has Kyrie Irving played his last game for the Dallas Mavericks?

The Mavs have to be the favorite to sign Irving this summer. The teams with projected cap space are all rebuilding. Do they want a 31-year-old point guard who may cause drama off the court? That seems unlikely. Multiple contenders will be interested, but they would have to work out a sign-and-trade with Dallas to land Kyrie. Are the Mavericks willing to let him go without a significant return coming back?

ESPN’s Bobby Marks believes Irving will be back with the Mavs next season.

"I’ll be stunned if Kyrie Irving is not back next year. Dallas has the most money to offer. They are backed into a corner. What are they going to create? $30 million in cap flexibility to go out and get who?"

Marks is a former general manager, and he laid out the points following that quote about how Dallas cannot lose their second-best player for nothing two years in a row. They just cannot. Not and expect Luka Doncic to stay with the franchise long-term.

If I was setting the odds, I would put them at about 75 percent that Kyrie Irving is back in Dallas next season. Fans know the superstar can be unpredictable, but Dallas can offer the most money and is the franchise with the most at stake in the eight-time All-Star’s free agency. Expect the Mavs to get a deal done, but then comes the difficult part of improving their roster around their two superstars.

Will Kyrie Irving sign with the Dallas Mavericks this summer? Stay tuned for all the latest.