Kyrie Irving Contract with Mavs Has Fans Hyped for Full Season Alongside Luka Dončić

The Dallas Mavericks rolled their ability to re-sign Kyrie Irving this summer when they traded for him at the 2023 NBA trade deadline.

The gamble paid off.

Irving agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract to remain with the Mavericks on Friday, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. The deal will include a player option for the 2025-26 season.

Dallas acquired Irving in February after the All-Star forced a trade from the Nets, sending Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick and second-round picks in 2027 and 2029 back to Brooklyn.

The Irving-Luka Doncic experiment proved to be a disaster for the Mavericks, who went 5-11 in games both stars played. Dallas wound up purposefully tanking to end the regular season to avoid the play-in tournament, leading to the NBA fining the organization $750,000.

Suffice it to say there is work to be done.

As far as Mavericks fans go, their hype for a full season of Irving and Doncic together is palpable.

Others aren't so convinced.

While few can deny Irving's talent on the floor, he's garnered a reputation for being difficult behind the scenes. Beginning with his forced exit from Cleveland in 2017, Irving has been a never-ending source of controversy. He clashed with teammates in Boston, missed most of the 2021-22 season in Brooklyn over his refusal to undergo COVID-19 vaccination and served a suspension for promoting an anti-Semitic film this past season.

Coupled with injury issues, there's a reason a player of Irving's caliber could not find a full maximum contract on the open market.

Dallas knew he was a distressed asset when acquiring him and will now pay nine figures to hope Irving's fourth team is the charm.