Jason Kidd Says Mavs Want New Kyrie Irving Contract: 'I Think He's Truly Happy Here'

The Dallas Mavericks want impending free-agent guard Kyrie Irving back on the team, and head coach Jason Kidd made that stance clear on Friday's episode of Showtime's Headliners with Rachel Nichols (38-second mark):

"I think he truly is happy here. I think he wants to be here, but that doesn't guarantee us that he's gonna stay. He has the option and the opportunity as a professional to look elsewhere because he is a free agent, and I don't want to take that away from him, being a player who was in that situation.

"So we're going to do everything to keep him. At the end of the day, it's his decision, but we'll see what that is. But at the end, we hope that we've done everything to make him comfortable and want to be a Mav for life."

The Mavs acquired Irving via trade in February. He averaged 27.0 points on 51.0 percent shooting, 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 20 games for Dallas.

Mavericks governor Mark Cuban told NBA reporter Marc Stein last month that he wants Irving back.

The same goes for general manager Nico Harrison, who relayed a positive discussion with Irving after Dallas' season concluded.

"[We] had a great conversation. He feels accepted and allowed to be himself," Harrison told reporters last month. "He's said those things consistently, and that's what gives me the optimism that he wants to be here."

The Mavs acquired Irving for two players and three draft picks, including guard Spencer Dinwiddie and a 2029 first-round pick.

Naturally, the Mavericks don't want to lose him after just a quarter season following a big deal.

The pairing of Irving and superstar Luka Dončić did not fare well as the two went 5-11 together, per StatMuse. However, a full offseason and training camp could create the opportunity for greater success after the two were matched midseason.

Dallas' poor defense and rebounding caused the Mavs to miss the playoffs, as Harrison admitted to reporters:

"To fans that are frustrated, they should be frustrated. This year was not acceptable....I feel for them, and the only confidence I can give them is we're going to evaluate everything, and we're not going to be in this position again.

"The two biggest things we need: defense, period. And then rebounding. So, that's going to be addressed."

Harrison added that he's pleased with how the team's two stars shared the court: "I think Luka and Kyrie work together. I think it's the players around them. … That's the part we need to work on."

It's a big offseason for the Mavs as they look to bounce back from a tough campaign following a Western Conference Finals appearance the year before.