Kyrie Irving FUELS rumors of exit from Mavericks with latest move

Kyrie Irving skips season-ending press conference, sparking speculation about his future with the Mavericks.

Kyrie Irving FUELS rumors of exit from Mavericks with latest move

Kyrie Irving (Via CODE Sports)

The Dallas Mavericks’ season came to an abrupt end on Friday night when they lost to the San Antonio Spurs and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. But the bigger question for the Mavericks is what will happen to Kyrie Irving, their star point guard who joined them in a blockbuster trade in February.

Irving, who put up 27.1 points and 5.5 assists per game in 28 appearances with the Mavericks, was one of five players who did not play in the final game due to injury. He also did not attend the season-ending media session on Sunday, sparking speculation about his future with the team.

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Irving has a player option for next season worth $37 million, which he can opt out of to become a free agent this summer. Irving has not revealed his intentions for his option, but he has previously said that he enjoyed playing with Luka Doncic, the Mavericks’ franchise player and that he felt “at peace” in Dallas.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, have made it clear that they want to keep Irving and pair him with Doncic for the long term. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said that he thinks Irving is happy in Dallas and that he has a good chance of re-signing him. Doncic also said that he hopes Irving will stay with the team, calling him “a great fit” and “a great player”.

Read Further: “About f**king time!” – NBA Twitter goes into a frenzy at the prospect of Luka Doncic leaving the Mavs following a humiliating regular season exit

How will the Mavericks improve their roster?

luka doncic mavericks bench 1
Via Sports Illustrated

The Mavericks have a lot of decisions to make this offseason as they look to rebound from a disappointing season and upgrade their roster around Doncic and Irving (if he stays). The Mavericks also have their first-round pick in this year’s draft, which they could use to draft a young prospect or trade for a veteran star. According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Mavericks plan to trade their pick to acquire a proven star who can complement Doncic and Irving.

Some of the possible targets for the Mavericks could include Bradley Beal, Zach LaVine, or Pascal Siakam. However, any of these trades would require the Mavericks to give up some of their young players or future picks, which could hurt their depth and flexibility.

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The Mavericks could also look at the free agency market, where they could find some quality players who could fill their needs. Some of the possible options for the Mavericks could include Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley, or DeMar DeRozan. However, any of these signings would require the Mavericks to create enough cap space by renouncing some of their own free agents or making salary-dump trades.

The Mavericks have a lot of work to do this offseason, but their main priority will be to secure Irving’s future with the team. If Irving decides to stay in Dallas, he could form a formidable duo with Doncic and lead the Mavericks back to contention. If Irving decides to leave Dallas, he could leave a huge gap in the team’s offense and chemistry and force the Mavericks to start over.

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