Per Adrian Wojnarowski (ESPN), the full expectation is Kyrie Irving will re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks to form a one-two punch with Luka Dončić. The teams Irving would leave Dallas, and that are available to him, are extremely limited.
Money won’t be an issue for Irving’s contract with the Mavericks. The only question is how many fully guaranteed years there are for Irving.
Irving played 20 games with the Mavericks this past season and had impressive numbers. Irving averaged 27 points per contest, dished out six assists per game, collected five rebounds per game and had 1.3 steals per game. He was also very efficient, shooting 51 FG%, 39.2 3PT% and 94.7 FT%.
Irving and Dončić were both selected as starters for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, marking the first time in franchise history that Dallas had two All-Star game starters. Irving, who made his eighth All-Star appearance (6th start), tallied 32 points (14-21 FG, 4-8 3FG) and a game-high 15 assists for Team LeBron, set a new franchise record for both points and assists in an All-Star game. It also marked Irving’s most career points and assists in an All-Star game.
Irving has also requested a number change from #2 to #11.
Dončić (42 vs. PHI 3/2/23, 34 vs. PHX 3/5/23) and Irving (40 vs. PHI 3/2/23, 30 vs. PHX 3/5/23) each tallied 30+ points in two straight games, became the first pair of teammates in franchise history to score 30+ points in the same two consecutive games.
Dončić (42) and Irving (40) both scored 40+ points in the team’s 133-126 win vs. PHI (3/2/23), marking the first time in franchise history that Dallas had two 40-point scorers.
Dončić (7-13 3FG) and Irving (6-8 3FG) combined to shoot 13-of-21 (.619) from beyond the arc against the Sixers, becoming the first pair of teammates in league history to each tally 40+ points and 6+ 3-pointers in the same game.
Dončić (12 assists) and Irving (6 assists) each added 5+ assists against the 76ers, becoming just the third set of teammates in NBA history to each record 40+ points and 5+ assists in a non-OT game (regular season or playoffs).
Dončić and Irving also became only the 5th pair of teammates to record 40+ points in a non-overtime game over the past 30 years.
GM Nico Harrison looks to build a formidable team around the two All-Stars to return to the playoffs next season. He started the roster construction by selecting Dereck Lively II (12th overall pick) and OMax Prosper (24th overall pick) in the NBA Draft.