NBA
League sources say that Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks have a ‘handshake deal’ for a new max contract
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated22 May 2023
At the 2022-23 trade deadline, the Brooklyn Nets traded away eight-time all-star Kyrie Irving. Brooklyn’s GM Sean Marks did his best to get Kyrie in the best situation possible, and he landed on the Dallas Mavericks. He played and started in 20 games for the Mavs who missed the postseason this year. League sources say that Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks have a ‘handshake deal’ for a new max contract, despite conflicting reports.
The backcourt pairing of Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic sounded great on paper, but it never translated to the court. Dallas went 5-11 in games that both Irving and Doncic played this season. They were 8-12 in games that Irving played.
We seem to have a case of dueling sources that are giving different information. One report is saying the Mavs have a “handshake deal” in place with Irving. The other says he’s “ready to come to the Lakers”. Only time will tell what Kyrie plans to do.
"It would take a little bit of maneuvering… but [The Lakers] can get there. They can keep [Austin] Reaves & get Kyrie [Irving]… The way this is ending, it's increasing the chances of it happening."
Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective Podcastpic.twitter.com/KUjMOLS4jP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 21, 2023
Will Kyrie Irving be signing a max contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks?
One would think that the Mavericks would be serious about keeping Kyrie Irving. They gave up two starters, Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, plus a 2029 first-round pick for the 2016 NBA champ. It makes sense why Dallas would want to sign him to a max contract extension. That hasn’t stopped the narrative of Irving ending up on the Lakers.
Kyrie heading to the Lakers has been a rumor since the day he was traded to the Mavericks. NBA media and analyst’s around the league have varying opinions and information about what Irivng’s future may hold. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus heard the two sides have a “handshake” deal in place.
It’s clear that Irving wants no less than a max contract. He says Irving would have not had a “handshake” agreement in place if that wasn’t the case. However, ESPNs Brian Windhorst says that Irving “is ready to come to the Lakers”. This will be a massive off-season for Irving’s career.
