Kyrie Irving could gain money on top of his £97 million ($126m) contract if the Dallas Mavericks trade him in the next three years, with the 31-year-old able to use a unique provision in his recently signed deal to obtain the bonus.
According to HoopsHype, Irving will receive an extra 15 per cent payout — or about £14.5m — from any team that acquires him over the duration of his contract. That could incentivise him to push for an exit if he doesn't build sufficient chemistry with co-star Luka Doncic.
Before re-signing in Dallas, fans spotted Irving at a Los Angeles Lakers playoff games, prompting criticism of his loyalty. But Mavericks owner Mark Cuban claimed he never worried about Irving and believes the point guard is now fully committed to the franchise.
"Kyrie just loves basketball and loves going to games, so no, I wasn't concerned about that," Cuban told Sirius XM Radio. "But we traded for him because we wanted him to be a long-term piece, you know? And I think Kyrie's just misunderstood. Everybody sees all the noise and everything around him, but when you actually talk to him, I like him."
The Mavericks traded for Irving in the middle of last season, giving up a substantial haul of players and draft picks despite the possibility he could opt out of the final year of his contract. Indeed, Irving decided to test the open market, but the NBA champion eventually determined he would continue in Dallas on a new three-year agreement.
Irving's past tenures with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets ended with sour feelings, sparking some concern that things might end similarly with Dallas. The former Duke University star reportedly demanded trades from Cleveland and Brooklyn, and he refused to re-sign in Boston despite previously promising supporters he would sign a new deal.
However, Cuban claimed Irving's body language toward other players was more telling than his interactions with owners, clearly believing the eight-time All-Star is less problematic than some believe.
"It's interesting. When I would watch Kyrie before he came to the Mavs, I didn't pay enough attention to his relationships with other players," Cuban said. "Then when he came to us after the trade, it was inevitable after every game, there were multiple players walking up and hugging him – not just giving him a high-five, but like a real, honest-to-goodness, 'I like you' hug. And when you talk to players around them, they would say the same thing. And when you talk to our players after he got there, they'd say the same thing. They love the guy.
"So, it wasn't a question of his relationship with players. And then when you get into it more, as he matured, he's had different relationships with different organizations, which is why [head coach Jason] Kidd and I made the effort to really get to know him."
The Mavericks struggled after acquiring Irving from the Nets last campaign, though it was a small sample as he only played 20 games. Irving averaged 27 points, six assists and five rebounds per game on 51 per cent shooting from the field under Kidd.
