On Feb. 6, The Dallas Mavericks traded for Kyrie Irving, and expectations immediately rose. Luka Dončić finally got a Robin to his Batman.
But things haven’t gone as planned. The offensive fit is weird, and the defense is atrocious. Since acquiring Irving, the Mavs are 9-16 (4-11 when Dončić and Irving play).
A once surefire playoff team now needs a miracle just to sneak into the play-in tournament.
Now, the Mavs might not get the chance to see if the duo can make things work over the course of a full season, as Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reports Irving will test free agency.
“Irving is eligible for an extension, but he will instead allow his future to be decided in free agency this summer,” Haynes wrote. “Despite the Dallas Mavericks’ struggles since acquiring Kyrie Irving, the plan is still to re-sign the star guard.”
Irving is averaging 27 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game this season. He’s shooting 49.3% from the field and 37.4% from three. Clearly a phenomenal talent, there are still some questions about whether or not franchises are willing to fork up a big deal to Irving given all the baggage he’s destined to bring.
Last summer, Dallas passed on point guard Jalen Brunson, refusing a lucrative, long-term deal. Based on Haynes’ report, they won’t repeat this same course of action and will at least attempt to bring back Irving.
Mark Cuban and the front office may have to put the drama on the back burner due to what’s at stake.
Regardless of how poorly this experiment works, an Irving departure could have a catastrophic ripple effect on this franchise. It may be the final signal to Dončić that this front office doesn’t have what it takes to build a contending roster around his superstar abilities. It would leave such a talent gap behind Dončić that constructing a playoff roster for next season would be monumental.
Even if they don’t expect Irving and Dončić to play together for the long haul, they should still strongly consider keeping him on the roster for asset reasons, potentially flipping Irving to acquire other pieces that better fit with Dončić. Without Irving, the Mavs’ second most valuable asset is probably rookie Jaden Hardy, and that’s a problem.
Dončić’s future in Dallas may ride on how the Mavs regroup this offseason.
Source: yardbarker.com
