If Irving isn't interested in staying with the Mavericks, a sign-and-trade may be his best (only?) way out of Dallas. They're more interested in running back the core that has fueled their late-season surge, per Buha. ![]() The Los Angeles Lakers were tied to Irving prior to his trade to Dallas, but Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported in mid-March that they aren't planning to pursue him this offseason. The Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic magic, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons are the only teams projected to have enough salary-cap space to sign Irving outright this summer, and all five are in rebuilding mode. ![]() It's fair to wonder whether he'll have any offers in that ballpark, though. The Mavericks can offer Irving a two-year extension between now and June 30, but league sources told Haynes that he will "allow his future to be decided in free agency this summer." Based on the $134 million salary-cap projection for next season, Irving will be eligible to sign up to a five-year, $272.0 million contract with the Mavericks or a four-year, $201.7 million contract with any other team in free agency. So I think I've wrapped my head around that aspect of is. We can't just be a championship team overnight, especially me coming here. This is for something that's bigger than ourselves. "The realistic view is that when I came here, that this was gonna be a growing process," Irving said after the Mavericks' loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of March. Since significant personnel upgrades likely aren't in the cards, the Mavericks might have to bank on internal improvement fueling a turnaround next season. Whoever it is, anybody can score on us."Īccording to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, the Mavericks' plan heading into the offseason is to surround Doncic and Irving with "versatile wing defenders and rim protectors to improve a defense that has been subpar." However, if they re-sign Irving, they'll likely be limited to only the non-taxpayer mid-level exception in free agency, and they owe their top-10-protected 2023 first-round pick to the New York Knicks. “I don’t think offense is the problem," Doncic told reporters Tuesday. ![]() The Mavericks have the NBA's eighth-best offense since Irving's debut, but they're 26th in defensive rating. Fears about Irving clashing with Luka Doncic on offense have proved unfounded, even if the two haven't quite maximized their potential on that end of the floor yet.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |