Kyrie Irving Free Agent Profile
Kyrie Irving is one of this generation’s best point guards. His on-court talent no doubt deserves the four-year, $220.6 million deal he can get from the Dallas Mavericks. In fact, all NBA teams would improve by signing Irving. So, why is the rumor that the Mavs might be the only team interested in signing Irving not that surprising?
Background
The mercurial star enters the 2023 NBA Free Agency as one of, if not the best player available. However, his market will be hampered by off-court drama and a disappointing ending to the Mavs season. Dallas acquired the star in February after he requested a trade out of Brooklyn. The team hoped Irving would be the piece that could finally gel with homegrown star Luka Doncic.
Irving played great for Dallas in 20 games. The 31-year-old averaged 27 points and 6 assists per game while scoring threes at a 39.2 percent clip. Despite Irving’s personal success, Dallas’ season cratered down the stretch. The Mavs lost 13 of the final 18 games of the season, finishing the year below .5oo and missing the playoffs. An anonymous Mavericks player called the season a “F—ing Disaster”.
At this point in Irving’s career, teams know they’ll get great production from him when he plays. However, they also know about Irving’s serious negative baggage and tendency to miss games for whatever reason.
Strengths
Irving has become a generational talent because he does most things at a great level. For his career, Irving banks threes at a 39.1 percent clip and makes 88.5 percent of his free throws. A truly elite scorer and ball handler, Irving often gets on a roll where he puts the team on his back, controls the game, and doesn’t miss a shot.
While he can lead his team to wins, Irving has plenty of experience playing alongside stars. He knows how to share the court and has proven a willingness to play off-ball. This allows younger teammates to continue developing and veteran star teammates to get their typical action.
Weaknesses
In terms of legacy, Irving might end up being remembered more for the drama that constantly surrounds him than for his great play. He clashed with his young teammates on the Boston Celtics and had a cornucopia of off-court controversies in Brooklyn. Irving’s headaches became the main reason the Nets decided to not offer Irving the max extension he hoped for.
Potential Fits
Despite the horrible ending to the season, Dallas remains interested in retaining Irving. Dallas currently has a guard-heavy roster, but retaining one of the most skilled guards ever makes sense. His free throw prowess fits a roster need. Additionally, Dallas has been searching for a star to help Doncic take the team to the next level. Their chemistry was not good last year, but perhaps a full offseason and preseason can fix that.
Many reports indicate that the Houston Rockets plan to target Irving this summer. Irving would help catapult the Rockets out of a deep rebuild. Additionally, Irving wouldn’t stunt the development of young Rockets like Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Green also seemed excited about the potential of playing with Irving while appearing on Podcast P with Paul George.
“I want to learn from Kyrie,” Green said. “He has tapped in with me and I have his number. We have texted each other and talked after games. But that is someone I would love to learn from.”
At the end of the day, Irving seems to be Houston’s backup option if James Harden passes on a reunion.
Lastly, many rumors during last year’s trade deadline reported Irving’s interest in reuniting with LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers. Obviously, that didn’t happen in February, and it doesn’t seem likely to happen this summer.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Lakers want to focus on renewing the contracts of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura. Adding a big contract seems unlikely for the Lakers this summer.
