Kyrie Irving is apparently looking for his final destination. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reported that the 31-year-old guard will retire with whomever he chooses as his next NBA team.
He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in February and the honeymoon quickly ended after they went 8-12 in the 20 games he played for them last season. Though Irving put up his usual stellar offensive numbers, he and Luka Doncic seem to not be in sync with each other, especially in late-game situations. Irving could potentially be moving on to a better situation or at least with a more familiar running mate.
Blast from the Past
Multiple reports linked Irving to the Los Angeles Lakers in large part because of LeBron James but those talks remain just rumors. According to The Athletic, the Lakers said in May that they won’t be pursuing Irving anymore. The Lakers are shifting their focus to re-signing Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, who both played huge roles for them at the end of the regular season and in the playoffs.
As for Irving, his search for a “place that feels like home” began in Dallas. Chris Haynes of Turner Sports reported that Irving will meet with the Phoenix Suns and the Mavericks. The Suns meeting is puzzling because they gave up the majority of their draft assets to acquire Kevin Durant in February and Bradley Beal on June 24 through trades.
They signed DeAndre Ayton to a four-year deal worth $132.9 million in 2022. The Suns also are already $7 million over the $165 million tax threshold for the each NBA team. This means that the Suns could only sign players to veteran minimum deals.
If the Suns were to say forget the assets and cap space, then the opportunity to reunite Durant and Irving would be intriguing. The two only played 74 games together while in Brooklyn from 2019-2023. They never got a chance to really compete for a championship together, and this could be viewed as a “run it back” opportunity.
What About the Mavs?
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban expressed how much he wanted Irving to return to Dallas.
“I want him to stay for sure, and I think we have a good shot,” Cuban said in part on 97.1 The Freak. “I think he’s happy here. He told me he’s happy here.”
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Mavericks would be Irving’s best choice because of their cap space and ability to compete.
“The market for Kyrie Irving [in terms of] legitimate places that he would leave Dallas for that makes sense [and] that are available to him [are] extremely limited,” Wojnarowski said on NBA ESPN. “Perhaps almost nil. I think the full expectation is that he returns to Dallas.”
Irving and other free agents can officially sign with teams beginning June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.
