July 6: Irving has officially re-signed with the Mavericks, per NBA.com’s transaction log.
June 24: Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving is declining his $43MM player option and intends to sign a three-year, $119MM contract with the team as a free agent in July, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports (Twitter link). The deal, which is nearly identical to the one he signed in 2023, will include a player option for the 2027/28 season.
The nine-time All-Star is recovering from a torn ACL in his left knee, which he injured in early March.
Irving was enjoying a typically strong season prior to the injury. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 50 starts. Most of the outings came with Luka Doncic alongside him in the backcourt, so his assist totals could spike when he returns as the team’s primary ball-handler.
The deadline for Irving to opt in was today and it wasn’t surprising that the option was declined for more long-term security. As far back as April, it was reported that Dallas preferred to re-sign the 33-year-old to a three-year deal.
Irving’s first-year salary on his new contract will be lower than the option he declined, reducing the Mavs’ team salary and moving them below the second tax apron. That will enable Dallas to use the $5.7MM taxpayer mid-level exception to pursue a lead guard in free agency to run the team while Irving recovers, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link).
The Mavericks are optimistic that Irving can return to action sometime in the middle of next season. The Mavericks were hopeful that the combination of Irving and Anthony Davis would produce a championship in the short run. The unexpected addition of Cooper Flagg via winning the lottery will make them even more dangerous in the coming years.
Irving was the No. 2 free agent on our top-50 rankings and becomes the first player on that list to reach a contract agreement with his current team.
$119 million for a player who a) didn’t show up throughout the 2024 playoffs, b) who was awful in the finals, c) now won’t play most of this season, d) who will be 34 6’1 injury prone guard reliant on speed and quickness post ACL injury.
Yeah, better pay Irving than pay the 26 year old 5 time first team all NBA who was the best player in the finals with two leg injuries and a busted ribs.
Makes perfect sense who should have been traded and who should have gotten paid!!!
@Johnny. Shut up
Someone obviously didnt watch Kyrie burn Edwards alive.
Edwards wanna be Jordan but can’t play defense -or- will his team to difficult wins
Was that after his tore up his ACL?
Johnny- have you watched mavs game over the last couple years? Kyrie has been the heart and soul of the mavs. Big numbers and great leader. If he hadn’t been hurt this would be a 3 year $165 mil deal. Dude is a stud. This deal will be a bargain, especially when you look at some of the other deals out there for $40mil +
lol
This is Kyrie IRVING you are referring to? Perhaps you should take the blinders off a min.
Watch how well 34-36 year old 6’1 guards dependent on quickness fair in the NBA. And this even if he didn’t have the ACL injury. He will be mediocre at best. But then Nico has nothing to worry about Kyrie’s health issues, so there is that!
I’ve been watching Mavs before Kyrie got there. Kyrie sucked in the playoffs, especially the finals. Look up his playoff numbers by series that year.
He averaged about 25/5/5 last year…..and Kyrie was great in the 24 playoffs. Cooked against OKC and Minny. All mavs were bad against a better Celts team. At $39mil a year he’s a bargain. He’ll be around the 30th highest paid player in the league. Less than or equal to OG, Barnes, Markennen, Trae,Zion, Murray, Mobley, George, Lavine, Beal, Sabonis, porter…..to name a few. Looking at that group, it’s hard to say it’s overpay. Lastly, this isn’t 1980, and ACL surgery isn’t a career ender. Thinking he’ll lose his athleticism is dumb.
Kyrie averaged 15.7 ppg against OKC. That’s cooking?
You’ll see what he will look like over this contract. 34-36 year old 6’1 guards dependent on quickness don’t do well, and this even if he didn’t have the ACL injury. Add the ACL and he will be mediocre at BEST.
If Kyrie is the heart and soul of the Mavs, what does that say about the team? Not good my friend
Dumbass comments kyrie showed up in 24 playoffs .luka and him carried team
Kyrie finals numbers. 27.6% three point shooting and 45% EFG across the 5 finals games, and they were guarding him heads up.
@Johnnybgood
Says Kyrie is bad throughout 24 playoffs but Only posts numbers for the finals. Obviously you dont know that “throughout the playoffs” is not equal to “finals numbers”
Troll harder than Davey J please.
I see what you’re saying here and that’s very true, but Kyrie has other skills than quickness.
Kyrie shoots the three ball very well and has a mid range game.
The reason he gets free is yes, quickness, but there’s many defenders who are just as quick and can stay with a quick player.
There’s a bunch of quick players who fail because they don’t have an offensive game.
Kyrie has handles and shiftiness and big-time skills as a scorer. You take his quickness away through age or injury, and he’s still going to be able to score, find others for easy baskets, And be a very, very good player on the offensive end.
What will suffer from age and injury is his defense. The quicker player will blow by him, but that’s to be expected for mid 30s guy. Heck that happened with Luka in his 20s.
No worries, Kyrie and the Mavs will be fine when Irving comes back.
Kyrie has always played poorly vs the Celtics, it’s a mental thing from the history, because the Celtics fans hate him after he said he would stay with them and then defected to the Nets, and later made a show of stomping on the Lucky leprechaun logo at center court.
His avg stats in the other rounds:
Vs Clippers, 26.5 ppg on 51%/45%/ 5.7 rpg 4.7 apg 1.8 spg +10
vs OKC, 15.7 ppg on 44%/43%/82% 2.3 rpg 6.2 apg 1.0 spg +3.8
Vs Wolves, 27 ppg on 49%/38%/81% 3.6 rpg 4,6 apg 0.6 spg +7.6
Does Kyrie also think math is flat?
I love Kylie but I must admit it is comical that the Mavs traded Luka because of injuries and diet but they give a 32 year old kyrie with a torn ACL 150 million.
119 does not equal 150
Umm…It is $119, not $150.
You are correct. However my point still stands.
Your point just stands about a third less valid than it did …..
Still an overpay
Luka was due 350 mill lol. That’s why he’s gone ….
Its stupid…
Trade Luka and pack the team with constantly injured players…
And doubling down on Kyrie just completely ruins any hope this team had at building around AD…
I wouldn’t have done it. He’s been behaving in Dallas. Dallas has to get a PG. Then they will be good by playoffs. Kyrie comes back then. Get AD and Cooper a real PG…..
“Most of the outings came with Luka Doncic alongside him in the backcourt, so his assist totals could spike when he returns as the team’s primary ball-handler.”
It’s worth noting that this DID NOT happen post-Doncic.
To be fair, he only played once with the player they traded Luka for.
Not a Hall of Famer
He’s a hall of fame quitter. He has that going for him.
No, he’s absolutely a Hall of Famer.. ridiculous take
Everyone makes the basketball Hall of Fame. As HOF’s go, only the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is a bigger farce.
Kyrie is a 9x All-Star, 3x All-NBA, NBA Champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, World Cup Gold Medalist & WC MVP
He is the 4th player in history to win an NBA Championship and Gold Medal in the same year (LeBron, Jordan, Pippen).
He has a 15-6 Playoff record and made 4 NBA Finals (half of his Playoff losses are literally in the Finals).
He could have retired 5 years ago and still made it.
Says the one not in the hall of fame
Kyrie messed up at least 3 teams, Cleveland, Boston and Brooklyn. Hopefully he won’t do the same in Dallas but his ego may be too big.
Mavs are a dumspter fire…
Mavs fans need a new team… luckily there are others in Texas… This guarantees lottery picks I guess is the most positive way to look at it…
Go Spurs Go…