When the Dallas Mavericks traded for star guard Kyrie Irving about two months ago, they thought they had become legitimate championship contenders.
At the time, they looked to be a lock to make the NBA playoffs and likely bypass the play-in tournament by finishing with one of the best six records in the Western Conference.
But since Irving’s arrival, the Mavs have performed very poorly, and they will not even participate in the play-in tournament this season.
They’ll have to make some tough decisions this summer, and it all starts with Irving’s impending free agency.
Head coach Jason Kidd told the media that he could potentially bet on Irving staying in Dallas, though he was not very sure about that statement.
“If I were a betting man, I think I’d say he’ll be back. Why would I say he won’t?”
Mavs coach Jason Kidd on Kyrie Irvingpic.twitter.com/DFZ3GCK3so
– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 8, 2023
There’s no doubt that the New Jersey native is one of the most accomplished guards in the game, and he’s widely regarded as the greatest ball-handler in the history of pro basketball.
He averaged 27.0 points and 6.0 assists in 20 games with the Mavs, while shooting 51.0 percent overall and 39.2 percent from 3-point range, which are certainly elite numbers.
After demanding a trade in 2017, the Cleveland Cavaliers sent him to the Boston Celtics, and while he missed the playoffs due to injury, Boston fared better without him, as it came within a quarter of a quarter of an effort of reaching the NBA Finals. came inside
The following season, Irving, who was set to become a free agent in the summer of 2019, declined to commit to a future with the Celtics, and he joined Kevin Durant on the Brooklyn Nets.
But the Nets’ superteam experiment was a colossal failure, and so the Mavs attempted to experiment with Irving this season.
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The NBA Will Reportedly Investigate The Dallas Mavericks