Kyrie Irving’s $119M Extension Opens Doors For 2 Ex-Lakers Stars Amid Chris Paul Rumor

The NBA Gods have turned the tables in favor of the Dallas Mavericks after exposing them to the worst scrutiny in February. With Cooper Flagg’s season, the Mavs are starting to forgive Nico Harrison as the NBA offseason just got a lot more interesting in Dallas. While most teams are scrambling to make big moves, the Mavericks are playing chess while everyone else plays checkers. Something major just went down with Kyrie Irving’s contract, and it’s about to create opportunities the basketball world didn’t see coming.

The bombshell dropped when Kyrie Irving declined his $43 million player option and signed a new three-year, $119 million deal instead. But here’s the genius part – by structuring it this way, the Mavericks created $5.7 million in spending money through the tax mid-level exception. As one analyst put it: “That’s just huge for Dallas.” Now they’re hunting for backup guards, and their top targets? Former Lakers Dennis Schröder and D’Angelo Russell, and the numbers tell the story – Russell put up 12.6 points and 5.1 assists last season for a cheap deal. Not bad?

Speaking on Locked On Mavericks, Isaac Harris, one of the panelists, suggested, “Will the Mavericks try to convince D’Angelo Russell, who made $18.6 million this past season, to say, ‘Hey, take this $5 million and you can start and play for us for a while. Get buckets?” Either would be a steal at $5.7 million, especially with Kyrie expected to miss the start of the season recovering from his torn ACL. As @Mavs_FFL reported, the Mavs have “narrowed their PG search down to D’Angelo Russell and Malcolm Brogdon.” Imagine telling Lakers fans a year ago that Russell might take a pay cut to play in Dallas – the plot twists never end! But wait, there’s more.

The Mavericks are also flirting with future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul, who’s coming off a solid 7.4 assists per game season in San Antonio. As one insider revealed, Dallas is “exploring ways to convince Paul to sign with them.” The 40-year-old point guard would be perfect mentor material for rookie Cooper Flagg, and his playmaking could keep the Mavs afloat until Kyrie returns. It’s a long shot given Paul’s family situation, but in the NBA, you never say never.

As the Mavericks piece together their puzzle, one thing’s clear – Kyrie’s contract wizardry just opened up a world of possibilities. And whether they land Schröder, Russell, or even pull off the Chris Paul miracle, the Dallas Mavericks are proving that championship teams are built as much with calculators as they are with basketball, and Nico Harrison is not lost yet.

Kyrie’s Contract Game: Turning Options Into Power

If NBA contracts were poker hands, Kyrie Irving would be the guy quietly stacking chips while everyone else shows their cards. His latest move – declining $43 million to secure $119 million – is just another example of how player options have become the league’s ultimate power play.

The new deal keeps Kyrie Irving in Dallas through 2028 (if he wants), but that 2027-28 player option is the real magic trick. It’s his safety net – a way to control his future while the Mavericks build around him. Remember 2022 in Brooklyn? Kyrie took the $37 million player option when his value was shaky, then turned it into this payday. The man understands leverage better than most GMs.

Now here’s where it gets spicy. That contract flexibility allowed Dallas to create the $5.7 million exception they’re using to chase ex-Lakers. Kyrie might be rehabbing his knee, but he’s already delivering assists from the front office. As one insider noted: “Player options are the NBA’s ultimate power move.” And nobody plays that game better than Uncle Drew.

The lesson? In today’s NBA, the real MVPs are the ones who master both the crossover and the contract clause. Kyrie’s proving you can have your max money and eat your roster flexibility, too. Now we wait to see which former Laker gets to enjoy the leftovers.