Some cracks may be emerging in the relationship between the Dallas Mavericks and Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks star Irving, who is eligible for a contract extension this summer, has only been offered deals worth less than $40 million per year, Shams Charania of ESPN reported during an appearance Tuesday on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.” Charania further noted that Irving has to decide on his player option for next year by Tuesday’s deadline and adds that the two sides failing to agree to a long-term deal before the deadline would indicate that Irving sees Dallas’ offer as “well below market value.”
Irving’s player option for 2025-26 is worth $43 million. As such, the Mavericks are offering him less per year than he would make by opting in for next season (albeit with an opportunity for Irving to have longer-term security).
The 33-year-old Irving is currently recovering from a torn ACL suffered this past March. As a result, he could miss most if not all of next season, complicating the situation even further.
Previous reports had suggested that Mavericks were still willing to offer Irving a max extension, even after his ACL injury. After all, Irving is a former Nike athlete who has a close relationship with Mavericks GM Nico Harrison (a former Nike executive), and he appears to be the veteran that the Dallas is building around after their franchise-altering trade of Luka Doncic in February.
But now it appears that the Mavericks are getting some cold feet when it comes to paying up for an aging Irving. An offer below market value may be the best strategic move for Dallas given Irving’s injury uncertainty right now. But it also runs the risk of alienating the notoriously-fickle Irving and creating another ugly situation for the Mavericks.
