Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has been public enemy No. 1 in D-Town for several months. Unless you've been under a rock since his notorious choice to trade superstar/organizational centerpiece Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, that's not news. And it doesn't figure to change anytime soon, especially now that the still-stunning move could factor into contract negotiations with the Slovenian's ex-co-star, Kyrie Irving.
Renowned NBA insider Marc Stein recently described Dallas' negotiations with Irving, who has a $42.9 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign, as "complicated." There's little (if any) doubt that the standout guard will remain with the Mavericks, regardless of whether he opts in or out. However, uncertainty surrounding a price point lingers, largely because Dončić is now a member of the Lakers.
Subscribe to The Whiteboard, FanSided's daily email newsletter on everything basketball. If you like The Whiteboard, share it with a friend. If you hate it, share it with an enemy!
Luka Dončić trade is still haunting Nico Harrison, Mavericks via Kyrie Irving contract talks
"I don't hear anyone forecasting scenarios where Kyrie Irving is no longer a Maverick," Stein said (h/t DLLS Sports). "I haven’t heard one scenario presented where he ends up with another team." That's all good and well, but the prominent reporter also couldn't put a number on what a new deal might look like.
"I also don’t have a handy projection for how this contract is going to turn out during the season," Stein stated. Irving tearing his left ACL in March is certainly part of the discussion. Although, knee injury aside, the Mavericks need the 33-year-old more than ever with Dončić out of the picture, giving him the ultimate leverage.
Stein mentioned "whispers" of Irving securing a three-year pact somewhere in the ballpark of $40 million annually, similar to his first deal with Dallas. Nonetheless, yesterday's price is no longer today's going rate, for all the reasons mentioned above.
"But the circumstances have changed in two major ways," Stein voiced. "On one hand, Kyrie Irving is the only elite proven guard on this [Mavericks] roster. And with Luka Dončić no longer here, his value to the Mavericks has theoretically skyrocketed. But on the flip side, of course, as everyone knows, in early March, he sustained an ACL tear ..."
This is all coming from someone who's as tapped into all things Mavericks-related as can be. Hearing that there are no questions about Irving leaving is encouraging, but that's only half the battle. Harrison and the Mavericks still have to get him to put pen to paper, which becomes much harder after Dončić's well-chronicled exit. Nonetheless, Dallas has left itself with no choice but to meet whatever demands the 2011 No. 1 overall pick has.
Resolving Kyrie Irving's contract situation must be Nico Harrison and the Mavericks' top priority
On-court reasons aside, Irving was a beacon of light in an otherwise dark time following Harrison's infamous decision to (willingly) get out of the Dončić business. The nine-time All-Star stepped up as a leader while the Dallas faithful (and the basketball world alike) struggled to wrap their heads around the situation. Not only did the team rally around him, but the entire city did too, and the value of that cannot be overstated.
Moreover, as Stein emphasized, the Mavericks don't have another reliable backcourt option beyond Irving. Dallas head coach Jason Kidd ostensibly lacks trust in former second-round pick Jaden Hardy to handle consistent playing time. They got so desperate down the stretch of this season that undrafted two-way guard Brandon Williams became a revelation for them.
But above all, when healthy, Irving's still one of the Association's best guards and players. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 2024-25 on outstanding .473/.401/.916 shooting splits.