Mark Cuban Says New Kyrie Irving Contract Eyed by Mavericks: 'We Want to Keep Him'

Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban told longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein the team wants to re-sign impending free-agent guard Kyrie Irving and that the Mavs traded for him with a "long-term" view behind their decision.

The Mavs paid a hefty price to get Irving from the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 6:

Dallas risks paying that price for less than a half-season with Irving if he leaves the Mavericks in free agency. And the team may never get to see him in playoff action.

As it stands now, the 37-42 Mavericks are at risk of missing the playoffs entirely with the team one half-game back (plus a lost tiebreaker) of the Oklahoma City Thunder for the fourth and final Western Conference play-in tournament spot.

Pairing Irving in the backcourt with superstar guard Luka Dončić has not worked out well so far with the team going 4-11 with them together. That being said, a midseason pairing of two superstars doesn't necessarily foreshadow immediate success.

The star duo could use a full offseason and preseason to work together and hope for greater success if Irving re-signs with the team. The Mavs need to work on acquiring personnel better equipped to fit around them with the team struggling so much on defense and rebounding too.

As for what Irving reportedly wants in his next deal, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski provided that information on Feb. 4, two days before Dallas acquired him:

"Irving, who is in the final year of a deal that pays him $36.9 million, has been seeking in the neighborhood of a four-year, $198.5 million maximum extension available to him until June 30, sources said. If Irving is traded, he is eligible to sign a two-year, $78.6 million extension with his new team until June 30."

While re-signing Irving could give the Mavs the foundation they need to build a championship contender, it's also worth remembering how turbulent Irving's career has been. He was suspended in November 2022 for initially refusing to apologize and denounce antisemitism after promoting an antisemitic film on social media and he missed more than half of Brooklyn's games in the 2021-22 campaign after refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19. He's also had two public and seemingly acrimonious breakups with both the Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

For now, the Mavs are trying to snap out of a 1-7 skid immediately in order to potentially make a run at the play-in tournament. First up is the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday at home.