It was the only option for the Dallas Mavericks, tired as they are.
It was the best option for Kyrie Irving, who got what he wanted despite believing he had very little impact.
The mistakes of the past have created the necessity of the present for both parties who must now embark on the struggle to build around Luka Dončić and Irving, hoping that they will be a good match and the other relevant parts will strengthen this solid partnership.
Irving’s three-year, $126 million deal isn’t on par with Damian Lillard (estimated at $60 million a year as of 2025–26) and is below what Fred VanVleet got from the Houston Rockets — a team which Irving is rumored to be attending in the coming days .
Salary increases for young players have surpassed Irving’s salary, and for those who remember another NBA it comes as a shock – the cap has nearly doubled since 2015-16 ($70 million to $136 million dollars in 2023/24).
Salaries have skyrocketed and will continue to rise for years to come, so the exorbitant amounts Houston and Dallas have been paying out won’t feel so bad any time soon.
When Dallas faced him, that was all Irving needed. Despite all the distractions and internal negotiations that come with having Irving on your team, his talent is undeniable.
Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract extension, though Irving only played 20 games for the Mavs after taking over last season. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
And above all, Irving feels wanted. You can certainly argue that he’s not easy to hug, but the only thing Dallas has to say for itself is that Irving knows he’s not part of a package deal, that he won’t be tolerated, he’ll be embraced.
Maybe that’s half the battle, or at least a way to get the best possible results.
He’s more than the player who scored a shot on LeBron James’ team in the Finals seven years ago, more than a player who scored 41 in an elimination game of the same series. It’s hard to imagine given all that the Irving package entails, but he’s a better basketball player than the All-Star in 2016.
All that matters is that he keeps his feet on the ground and stays aligned with the goals of the team. With Irving, it’s never the same controversy, just different ones that are often unpredictable – his bingo list of cases that can cause him to miss games would look like the word “resourceful”.
But that’s exactly what he is with the ball, mesmerizing and mesmerizing. He and Dončić didn’t have much time on the pitch together last season, only ten games and the 3-7 record isn’t big enough to make any meaningful predictions about how things will play out.
In those 20 games in Dallas, Irving shot 51/39/94 and averaged 27 points a night with six assists — a feat that’s not easy to find, especially with the ball-dominating Dončić controlling more than a third of the ante.
There’s plenty of room for the duo to develop and more room for Jason Kidd to build a defense around these two offensive wizards, provided he has the staff to do so. Kidd wasn’t afraid to confront Irving then, pushed for the deal to go through, and remains undeterred now.
Irving’s record is his record, which also comes into play for the Mavericks. Irving is considered to be the most talented second star this franchise may have had. Steve Nash was not fully recognized as Dirk Nowitzki’s co-driver, and the only All-Star not named Dončić or Nowitzki in almost 20 years was Josh Howard in 2007 – and he was only offered the spot after injury.
From the squad of defenders and wingers Dončić has played with to Kristaps Porziņģis, there hasn’t been much luck matching Dončić with anyone.
But Irving was more than willing to take on the challenge. Perhaps it was his bitter departure from Brooklyn, a promising dream turning into a nightmare on Atlantic Ave. morphed, then into a sequel, then into yet another. Irving knows he can’t miss valuable opportunities.
That’s not to be confused with leverage, though — which Dallas admitted when they gambled the guts of a Western Conference finalist to sign him midway through last season.
If they played hard with Irving, they would have looked like Philly in the Southwest and wasted valuable time based on the franchise player’s running clock. The 76ers’ altercation with James Harden has created a possible standoff, considering the 76ers’ general manager Daryl Morey wasn’t keen on trading Stars for anything less than Stars — after Harden realized his double-digit pay cut wasn’t This favor will be returned this summer.
James Harden is hoping for a move from Philadelphia, but will it happen? (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
If Morey has the guts to drag out the Harden saga, it could cost him in the long run. He did that with Ben Simmons and got Harden out of the deal – but never made it past the second round.
Mavs owner Mark Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison knew that stupid plays would only lead to stupid prizes, and after deciding to take a chance against Irving given the sample size, they practically decided to go through with it.
Hold your breath on Irving and hope he becomes a consistent figure with stability and a franchise he knows wants him, not one that will tolerate him? Yes still. In addition to the subtle moves that took place on draft night and the deal with Seth Curry hours after Irving’s signing, there is still room for more moves.
But it’s better than the alternative to look for a way to ease Irving’s exit to a possible Western Conference contender who will surely make your life difficult.
You want to create an environment in which both sides know exactly what is at stake with open eyes. Both sides are aware that they get along better with each other than wandering in the wilderness without a forced agreement. And both sides are aware that success is based above all on trust.