The Dallas Mavericks finally fulfilled one of their biggest offseason priorities on Tuesday night, less than 24 hours before they will draft Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick.
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Kyrie Irving will opt out of his $43 million player option while signing a three-year, $119 million deal to remain with the team through the 2027-28 season (he has a player option for the final year). With Irving deciding to opt out of his current contract and signing a team-friendly extension, the Mavericks will now be under the second apron and can utilize the $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason "to pursue a lead guard in free agency to run the team while Irving recovers from a torn ACL," according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Finding a guard to replace Irving until he returns from his ACL tear has been rumored for weeks in Dallas, and with Irving signing for this number, the Mavericks can now use the taxpayer mid-level exception to find their stopgap point guard rather than being forced to make a trade or be limited to veteran minimum contracts.
Irving's new deal unlocks Mavs' best shot at securing his replacement
Dallas and Irving have seemingly been committed to each other for some time, as Irving remaining with the Mavericks has seemed like a done deal for months, and they ended any speculation that this partnership would be ending by signing a long-term extension to make Irving's contract line up with Anthony Davis' deal.
Irving truly seems excited about this new era of Mavericks basketball, and he is eager to continue to embrace the role of being the team's leader. He knows as well as anyone what it takes to be a winner in the NBA on and off the floor, and he will be the perfect mentor for Flagg as he begins his NBA career.
After drafting Flagg, the Mavericks' priority will likely quickly flip to finding a starting-level guard to hold down the fort until Irving returns, and his contract extension just changed everything for them in that department.
Nico Harrison and Patrick Dumont will have some money to play with when it comes to finding their Irving replacement while he rehabs his torn ACL, and the Mavericks have already been linked to some players ahead of free agency.
While most of the rumors surrounding the Mavericks and their search for a new point guard have been on the trade market for players like Lonzo Ball and Collin Sexton, there have been some free agency murmurs as well. Dallas has been linked to Chris Paul and Malcolm Brogdon ahead of free agency next month, and either one of those players would be an excellent fit while filling the void that is left by Irving.
Paul, in particular, is an extremely interesting free agent for Dallas to consider, as $5.7 million should end up being a competitive offer for Paul compared to rival teams, considering that he is already 40 years old. He could be a great mentor for Flagg while also taking the role of being the on-court leader while Irving recovers, and his transition into being the leader of the second unit would be seamless once Irving returns to action.
Someone like Brogdon may be the better option when thinking about someone who could play alongside Irving once he is healthy, but all in all, Paul seems like the better choice.
Dallas could even chase Russell Westbrook in free agency, as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent after declining his player option with the Denver Nuggets. Westbrook's energy, athleticism, and playmaking would help the Mavericks as they begin the Flagg era, but as everyone knows, he comes with some risks, too.
With Irving making the choice he did to re-sign for under $40 million annually, the Mavericks will remain under the second apron and will have the flexibility to make some noise in free agency, despite not being expected to be able to do so just a few weeks ago. Dallas won't be among the big spenders, but $5.7 million is a whole lot better than a veteran minimum when searching for the player who will run the offense while Irving is sidelined.
