“Even just being in Dallas — it’s been up and down, so to say, in terms of the circumstances and situations — but we’ve been doing our best. I’ve been doing my best. I’m one of the leaders on the team, so I’ve got to stay stoic, stay poised, ready for the moment, ready to articulate what’s going on, and be ready to move forward” said Kyrie Irving during a recent interview on NBA TV. For the NBA star to say this meant that he was planning a long-term future with the franchise. Not an easy thing to do when the same team traded off his ‘hermano’, aka the squad’s best player, and caused it to end up as the 10th seed on the points chart. However, amid some good draft news, things are changing for the franchise. This might have compelled Kyrie to make his commitment to the team crystal clear in ink.

Shams Charania recently reported that the 9x NBA All-Star will be declining his $43 million player option. Instead, he will sign a 3-year, $119 million contract with the Dallas Mavericks! The new contract will give him a player option in the 2027-28 season. The signing does more than allow the Mavs front office to keep a star player within their circle. Bobby Marks highlighted that the new deal will also give Dallas the flexibility to use their $5.7M tax midlevel exception. Things would have been different if Kyrie had instead opted in. The Mavs would have been a second apron team, and paid more in luxury tax. In that case, the exception would not have been available unless a trade took place.

Shams Charania provided additional updates following his initial breaking news update, which offered clarity on Kyrie’s future. According to the ESPN Insider, Mavericks officials and the player’s agent, aka Kyrie’s stepmother Shetellia Riley Irving, negotiated the new deal to keep him out of free agency.

It is an impressive feat in itself that Kyrie Irving was able to secure this deal despite his injury woes. Mavs fans might still remember how the 33-year-old tore his ACL during a March game against the Sacramento Kings. The injury caused doubts on Kyrie’s availability for all of next season. While Shams Charania highlighted that the famed point guard is targeting a January 2026 return, that is still ways into the NBA season. However, his injury might have compelled Kyrie to forego a player option, since the deal he recently signed offers long-term security. Worth losing $1 million over 3 years, right?

Kyrie Irving signs the deal on the eve of the 2025 NBA Draft. The Dallas Mavericks secured the No. 1 pick in the Draft Lottery, despite initial predictions claiming they had a 1.8% chance of doing so. The team is now highly expected to acquire Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg. Therefore, Kyrie staying on is a good thing since, as an NBA Insider highlighted, the former collegiate player will be requiring a mentor like the 2016 NBA champion.

Isaac Harris highlights that Cooper Flagg needs to build a strong relationship with Kyrie Irving to thrive

During a recent segment of the ‘Locked on Mavericks’ podcast, podcaster Issac Harris touched base on Cooper Flagg’s future. within the Mavs. When asked his opinion on who is the most important person Flagg should develop a relationship with, Harris claimed “the right answer for me is Kyrie Irving”.

For him, the answer is obvious, since “Dallas loves him, the front office loves him. He is the leader of the team, he was the leader of the team even before Luca got traded, and I think to come in and to form a relationship with Kyrie and the leader of the team, somebody who knows Jason Kidd, somebody who knows Nico Harrison, somebody who knows the fan base and AD and Lively, someone who’s been, uh, through media stuff left and right. I think he’s the one through all this, that knows the ins and outs of all the other pieces”.

Sure, Kyrie Irving hasn’t always been praised in his role as a mentor. As ‘Pro Football Network’ highlighted, the 33-year-old faced criticism for his leadership during his time with the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets. However, he has ‘matured’ since arriving in Dallas. Kyrie highlighted the same back in May 2024, when he talked about the team’s early playoff exit back in 2023 by stating, “You get motivation from failure and you get inspired… This year, I really just focused on doing the little things. If my points came, they came, but I wanted to make sure we felt good as a team after every single game”. Kyrie’s ability to connect with younger players reportedly became a defining characteristic of his. Therefore, while he might not come to the court soon, he can still guide Flagg from the sidelines.

Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, who were acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Luka Doncic, are now reportedly on the same timeline with their contracts. This gives the Dallas Mavericks a limited window through which they can compete for a championship title. With Cooper Flagg in, a ‘Big 3’ could be formed, with Klay Thompson also assisting on the scoring front, that can put the Mavs back on the map, and return them to the same championship-contending level as the squad was in the 2023-24 season. It will certainly be interesting to see how the team’s future will be affected, going forward, through this recent decision.