The dog days of one of the most disappointing seasons in Dallas Mavericks history continue to drag on, as the Mavericks are now 33-37 with just 12 games to go. They can't seem to get back on track, and the team's injuries are a significant reason for that.
They have lost several players to season-ending injuries over the last few months, and as things stand now, P.J. Washington and Klay Thompson are the only two healthy starters on the team. While Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis could return this season, their other starter, Kyrie Irving, will miss the rest of the season due to a torn ACL.
Irving was the engine that kept the Mavs running, and fans were devastated to see him go down as it crushed the team's title hopes and he was having an amazing season. With Irving set to miss considerable time, fans have already begun to look to next season, as that will be their next chance to chase a championship, but one major hurdle stands between the Mavericks and Irving ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Free agency.
Mavericks determined to keep Kyrie Irving in Dallas
Irving has a $43.96 million player option for next season, and if he opts out, he will become an unrestricted free agent. There have been no signs that Irving wants to leave Dallas, as he is the leader of the team and has enjoyed his two years here, but the Mavericks are definitely in a tough spot ahead of this summer.
Irving will have all of the leverage (maybe a bit less because of his injury), as they can't afford to lose him, but signing a 32-year-old guard to a max contract has plenty of risks as well. There's a chance that he never returns to the same level he was at this season, but it sounds like that is a risk the Mavericks are willing to take.
In an appearance on FanDuel TV's Run It Back, Mavs reporter Mike Curtis was asked about Irving's upcoming free agency, and he made it clear where Dallas stands.
"The goal is to keep Kyrie in Dallas as long as they can," Curtis said. "Before the injury, he was definitely on track for a max extension. I think that's still the case."
The Mavericks want to keep Irving in Dallas into the extended future, and it sounds like a max contract will be on the table. Irving is eligible for a three-year, $176 million deal or a five-year, $313 million deal, and it seems like the more likely of those two options is the three-year deal.
If Irving were to sign that contract with Dallas, Nico Harrison's window to win a title with the duo of Davis and Irving would be extended by a few years, as both of their contracts would expire after the 2027-28 season. This duo has the potential to be dangerous for years to come, but they have to make sure to get Irving signed into the extended future to ensure that he and Davis will be running the show moving forward.
It's obvious that the Mavericks can't afford to see Irving go. Whether his new contract is this summer or next, his new contract will define the team's new championship window in the post-Luka Doncic era.
