NBA rumors: Mavs drop Kyrie clue, new Kuzma favorite, LeBron to the Hawks?
NBA rumors: Mavericks drop potential Kyrie Irving hint
The Dallas Mavericks are currently expected to re-sign Kyrie Irving according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. If there is any lingering doubt, however, the Mavs are trying their best to stymie it.
The Mavericks announced today at their rookie introduction press conference that Kyrie Irving, provided he re-signs with Dallas in free agency, will wear No. 11 next season ... with Dereck Lively II taking over No. 2.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 26, 2023
More NBA from me: https://t.co/A6ycVmnrjq https://t.co/dT22rX9gHo
The NBA is perpetually unpredictable. There’s no ruling out an Irving relocation entirely, but with the list of reasonable suitors approaching zero and the Mavs possessing the ability to pay him the most money (in a state without income tax), Irving’s return to Dallas feels inevitable.
To further affirm that notion, Dallas is already changing Irving’s number. He is expected to wear No. 11 next season while incoming first-round pick Dereck Lively II takes over the No. 2 jersey. Some level of communication has to occur for this to happen; Irving presumably gave his blessing to Lively or otherwise indicated a desire to return to No. 11, the number he wore in Boston and Brooklyn.
The Mavs were able to acquire Irving for pennies on the dollar at the trade deadline due to several self-inflicted controversies on Irving’s part. Now, the Mavs are widely expected to run back the Irving-Doncic backcourt with (ideally) a more balanced roster to support them. Dallas is just over a year removed from making the conference finals. A return to contention is definitely in the cards next season.