One of the most prominent storylines of the second-half of the Dallas Mavericks‘ season has been the looming free agency of Kyrie Irving. Irving was traded to the team ahead of this year’s deadline, with his contract set to expire in the summer.
Ahead of the April 5 meeting with the Sacramento Kings, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban shared his feelings on the potential of Irving sticking around on a new contract.
“I’d love to have him stay for sure,” Cuban said via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I’d love to have him. I want him to stay for sure, and I think we have a good shot. I think he’s happy here. He tells me he’s happy here, and I get along great with him. I think he’s a good guy. All I can tell you is everything I thought I knew about Kyrie because of everything I read was 100% wrong.”
When asked about how much he’d be willing to spend to keep the 31-year-old on the Mavs, Cuban wouldn’t get too specific, citing the new CBA as reasoning.
“I don’t know,” Cuban said. “I guess there’s always too high a price, depending, but now with the new CBA, it’s a different world.”
Kyrie Irving is “At Peace” with Mavericks Future
It would appear as if Irving has interest in extending the partnership as well. During a recent interview, he said that he understands the team has to go through a growing process, before putting together a successful run.
“I think the realistic view is that when I came here, this was going to be a growing process,” Irving said via Sports Illustrated’s Grant Afseth, after the March 28 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. “This was for the long term, and this was for something that’s bigger than ourselves, and we can’t just be a championship team overnight, especially me coming here. So I think I’ve wrapped my head around that aspect of it. I’m at peace with it. It doesn’t mean that I’m giving up on this season or any of my teammates are, but we know where we realistically are, and our destiny is in some other team’s hands losing games. So we just got to control what we can control and focus on the next few possessions that we have in these next games against some really good teams that want to position themselves for the playoffs. We’re fighting for a spot, so I look forward to the challenge. But again, in the last six minutes of the game, I felt like we could have been better clear, including myself.”
Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving was asked if there’s enough time to build the necessary chemistry in the final few games, given the scramble the standings has caused.
“It’s been a scramble since I’ve been here. So, trying to fill in roles that kind of fill in from other people. And I…
Mark Cuban Hopes Luka Doncic Stays with Mavericks
During the same gaggle, Cuban discussed the future of his other star player Luka Doncic. He told the press that he hopes to keep Doncic around for his whole career, but feels as if the organization still has to earn the privilege.
“Look, players don’t talk like that, just like, ‘Hey, I’m here for the next 17 years.’ He’d like to be here the whole time, but we’ve got to earn that,” Cuban explained.
When questioned about how Dallas would earn Doncic’s services, Cuban had a simple answer. Win.
“Win championships,” Cuban said. “It’s amazing how that cures all. I mean, before Giannis [Antetokounmpo] won, everybody was like, ‘Where’s he going? Where’s he going? He’s not staying. He’s not staying.’ [Nikola] Jokic, while they haven’t won, da, da, da, da, da. Dirk [Nowitzki] before [the Mavs won the 2010-11 title], right? There’s no great player, no superstar, where they don’t question, ‘What are you gonna do if you haven’t won yet?”
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Mavericks’ Mark Cuban Breaks Silence on Kyrie Irving’s Looming Free Agency