Perhaps the biggest question for the Dallas Mavericks this summer is “What will they do with Kyrie Irving?” Dallas swung a deal for Irving ahead of this season’s trade deadline, understanding the risk of him walking away when his contract expires this summer.
Or did they?
According to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus, the Mavericks had a “handshake agreement” with the superstar guard before finalizing the trade.
“I hear they had a handshake deal before the trade [with the Brooklyn Nets],” one source told Pincus. “And Kyrie wouldn’t have said yes to anything less than the max.”
If the report is true, then the Mavs could be in serious jeopardy of having to cough up a second round pick, as punishment for tampering (There’s no way they’ll ever be able to recover from a punishment so severe).
Pincus shared some intel he’d received from another source, outlining the structure of a hypothetical contract.
“I hear he’s going back to Dallas on a 3+1 [a player option on the fourth year]. His contract will line up [identically] with Luka [Doncic]‘s.” one player agent revealed to Pincus.
Doncic is under contract with the Mavs through at least the end of the 2025-26 season, with a player option for the 2026-27 campaign.
Securing Irving for the coming years was undoubtedly a top priority for Dallas heading into the offseason. Now that the question has seemingly been answered, the attention has to turn to putting a better roster around him and Doncic.
Nico Harrison Looks for Mavs to Add Defense and Rebounding
General manager Nico Harrison tipped his hand in terms of what he hopes to bring to the team in the offseason. When speaking with the media at his exit interview, he explained that the goal is to add defense and rebounding to the roster.
“I think for us going into the offseason, the two biggest things that we need to work on is defense and rebounding,” Harrison said via the Dallas Mavericks official YouTube channel. “That’s going to be addressed.”
Mavs Could Use No. 10 Pick to Trade for Myles Turner
Part of the organization’s plan heading into what could be a pivotal offseason, was to ensure that they retained their first round pick. Dallas would’ve lost their pick as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade with the New York Knicks, had it fallen out of the top-10.
They achieved that goal, retained the No. 10 overall pick, and now have to find a way to get the most out of it. Whether that means selecting a prospect to help support the stars, or making a splash with a blockbuster trade.
If they elect to take that latter route, then one name to keep an eye on is Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner.
Turner is coming off of a career season, where his scoring average jumped nearly six points from 12.9 to 18.0 points per game.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley outlined a trade that would land the Mavs the rim-protecting big man, in a recent article.
Dallas Mavericks receive: Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers receive: Dāvis Bertāns, Jaden Hardy and No. 10 pick
“The No. 10 pick may not do too much for Doncic, but sending it out as part of a package for interior anchor Myles Turner absolutely would,” Buckley wrote. “Among the many reasons Dallas disappointed this past season was its tumble from seventh to 25th in defensive efficiency. Turner may not cure all of the Mavs’ ills on that end, but the two-time blocks champ would be a tremendous insurance policy on the back line.”
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Mavericks Have a ‘Handshake Agreement’ for New Kyrie Irving Contract: Report