Soon-to-be unrestricted free agent point guard Kyrie Irving is expected to sign a new max deal with the Mavericks when free agency opens this weekend, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“The market for Kyrie Irving … legitimate places that he would leave Dallas for that make sense, that are available to him, it’s extremely limited, perhaps almost nil,” Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter. “The full expectation is that he returns in Dallas. The question will be what kind of deal does he go back on? How many years on a contract? I don’t think the money will be as much of an issue as how many fully guaranteed years are there for Kyrie Irving?
“I think that’s where the negotiation is going to be between he and the Mavericks. But if he wants to maximize his money on this deal, the place to do that is in Dallas. If he wants a chance to win and make a lot of money, or certainly win at a certain level playing with Luka Dončić … they certainly have much more to do with that roster but certainly a very formidable one-two punch with the Mavericks, it is back in Dallas. Again, the question will be how many years is that deal? What kind of commitment do the Mavericks make to Kyrie Irving?”
Irving was traded to the Mavericks before the deadline last season, and while the team fell short of its playoff expectations, Irving played well when he was in the lineup. He averaged 27.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 20 games with Dallas last season.
Re-signing with Dallas will allow Irving more time to create chemistry with fellow backcourt running mate Dončić, which would give the Mavericks one of the best offensive guard tandems in the NBA.
