DALLAS — As the June 30 start to NBA free agency looms, let’s flash back to Kyrie Irving’s first interview as a Dallas Maverick: Feb. 7 in Los Angeles after he joined the team mid-road trip.
In his first answer, Irving appreciated the Mavericks’ “warm embrace” of “nothing but genuine love” after his blockbuster trade-deadline arrival.
In his second, Irving criticized his former Brooklyn Nets franchise, who he felt “just tolerated” his needs and left him feeling “very disrespected.”
In hindsight, that insight explains the tricky balance Mavericks leadership must strike to re-sign Irving without his return spiraling, as in past stops.
Dallas might not face significant external competition for Irving, a 31-year-old reigning Eastern Conference All-Star starter who finished the regular season as the NBA’s best fourth-quarter scorer.
But the internal pressure remains high.
Offer a team-friendly deal below the maximum, and the Mavericks risk leaving Irving feeling insulted, unwanted or disgruntled heading into a crucial season with playoff pressure and a transformed roster around Luka Doncic.
Invest long-term and at top dollar, however, and the Mavericks will marry their championship hopes with Doncic to one of the NBA’s most mercurial superstars — and then must hope Irving becomes more reliable after years of unpredictable availability and behavioral habits.
Reflecting on Irving’s past career changes adds to the complicated negotiation maze general manager Nico Harrison and Mavericks leadership must navigate.
After his first six NBA seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Irving requested a trade in 2017 because he reportedly didn’t want to be a supporting star in LeBron James’ shadow.
ESPN also reported at the time that Irving didn’t speak to teammates for multiple days between the first and second rounds of the 2017 playoffs, which coincided with when his name surfaced in trade rumors.
After Irving’s trade to Boston, he started the final year of his rookie extension deal by declaring in October 2018 his intent to re-sign with the Celtics in free agency — only to renege at the end of the year and bash the “unwarranted speculation about my future.”
Sound familiar? During his first interview in Dallas last February, Irving requested that reporters cease questions about his pending free agency. He then declined to conduct a final exit interview, as Doncic and several of the Mavericks’ top players did after the regular-season finale, and has since taken to a Twitch livestream to call out fans and the media for free-agency pressure.
Irving’s fallout in Brooklyn has been well documented:
— Injuries
— Unexplained personal sabbaticals
— Missing nearly the entire 2021-22 season for not complying with New York City’s COVID-19 vaccination mandates
— Eight-game suspension for promoting on social media a film with anti-semitism and conspiracy theories and refusing to apologize in interviews
— February trade request, seven months after the Nets gave him permission to seek a sign-and-trade deal when they refused to agree to a long-term extension unless the contract included stipulations for game availability.
Irving and the Mavericks agreed to pause discussion about the future until the offseason.
So, what now? The Mavericks’ decision to trade two second-round picks, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and two starters (Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie) for Irving might’ve added more pressure on their side of negotiations than any outside pursuit.
The Lakers were the Mavericks’ biggest competition at the trade deadline to to land Irving, who hasn’t masked his desire to re-team with James.
At his first Mavericks press conference, he stated “unfortunately for the Lakers, they’re doing what they’re doing” when asked about James’ hope to reunite. Irving also attended multiple Lakers playoff games this spring — as did other NBA stars who spend time in Los Angeles during the offseason.
But since their run to the Western Conference finals, the Lakers have given no indication they will clear salary cap space or otherwise pursue Irving, and other potential suitors have appeared to change paths, too.
The Phoenix Suns all but eliminated Irving as a possibility with their surprise Bradley Beal trade this month, and the Houston Rockets, who have the most open salary cap space, are reportedly interested in other guards.
The Mavericks can offer Irving up to a five-year, $272 million maximum contract in free agency, though a two- or three-year deal will better align with their goal to protect against his unpredictability and match co-star contracts to Doncic, which ends with a $49 million player option in 2026-27.
But the Mavericks’ nuance and communication during the negotiations — and Irving’s emotions — will likely dictate the timeline.
