Kyrie Irving to Test Free Agency; Mavs Still Plan on New Contract

Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving, to no one's surprise, will enter NBA free agency instead of signing a contract extension beforehand.

Dalton Trigg | Apr 3, 2023

In this story:

Dallas Mavericks

No matter how the Dallas Mavericks finished this season out, Kyrie Irving passing up a contract extension now in order to sign a new deal in unrestricted free agency was always expected. That is the smart business move on Irving's end, as he'll be eligible to sign for more years and more money by going that route.

In a recent piece for Bleacher Report, NBA Insider Chris Haynes confirmed what was already expected from Irving.

“Irving is eligible for an extension, but he will instead allow his future to be decided in free agency this summer, sources said," Haynes wrote.

The Mavs have struggled mightily since acquiring the eight-time All-Star, posting just an 8-16 record since he made his debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 8. However, Irving isn't the reason for Dallas' woes, which mainly have consisted of untimely injuries, shallow depth and an inadequate frontcourt rotation.

Irving has put up impressive numbers, averaging 26.7 points and 5.9 assists while shooting 51 percent overall and 37.7 percent from deep through 19 games played with the Mavs.

“Despite the Dallas Mavericks’ struggles since acquiring Kyrie Irving, the plan is still to re-sign the star guard, league sources told Bleacher Report,” Haynes wrote.

Irving and Luka Doncic have proven to be a lethal offensive duo. If the Mavs can upgrade their frontcourt and improve their wing depth this summer, next season should go much smoother than what we've witnessed this year since the trade deadline.

We'll see if owner Mark Cuban and GM Nico Harrison are up for the challenge, but first thing's first – they must sign Irving to a new contract. If they offer him the contract he's worth, though, they shouldn't have anything to worry about.

Follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here.

Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter and Facebook.

Catch up on the latest Mavs Step Back Podcast episodes and be sure to SUBSCRIBE:

Published Apr 3, 2023

DALTON TRIGG

Dalton Trigg is the Editor-In-Chief for Dallas Basketball, as well as the Executive Editor overseeing Inside The Rockets, Inside The Spurs, All Knicks, and The Magic Insider. He is the founder and host for the Mavs Step Back Podcast, which is a proud part of the Blue Wire podcast network. Trigg graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development with a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2016. After spending a few years with multiple Dallas Mavericks-related blogs, including SB Nation’s Mavs Moneyball, Trigg joined DallasBasketball.com as a staff writer in 2018 and never looked back. At the start of 2022, he was promoted to the EIC title he holds now. Through the years, Trigg has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, Mavs GM Nico Harrison, now-retired legend Dirk Nowitzki and many other current/former players and team staffers. Many of those interviews and other articles by Trigg have been aggregated by other well-known sports media websites, such as Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report and others. You can find Trigg on all major social media channels, but his most prevalent platform is on Twitter. Whether it’s posting links to his DBcom work, live-tweeting Mavs games or merely giving his opinions on things going on with Dallas and the rest of the NBA, the daily content never stops rolling. For any inquiries, please email Dalton@MavsStepBack.com.