Last deadline day, the Dallas Mavericks took a risk when they traded for Kyrie Irving. Dallas went 8-12 in the 20 games Irving has played with the Mavs. Luka Doncic and himself did not intertwine on the field as many thought. This resulted in Dallas losing the playoffs in 2022-23. Despite reports from last week, Kyrie Irving’s “handshake” deal with the Mavericks doesn’t have any validity.
Even when the “handshake” deal was in effect last week, other sources have heard about the league differently. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst mentioned that Irving actually wants to go to the Lakers. Trading Kyrie Irving to the Lakers would be a massive move across the Western Conference. It’s not the craziest scenario, especially after D’Angelo Russell’s performance in last season’s postseason.
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto received a report that the “handshake” deal was unfounded. However, he reassured Mavs fans that doesn’t mean they won’t sign a deal.
A look at the future of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving’s landing chances, Lakers free agency updates on Austin Reeves, D’Angelo Russell, Roy Hachimura, Lonnie Walker, Dennis Schroeder, Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba with @employee On the @employee Podcast. https://t.co/DdHef5OOky
– Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 1, 2023
Kyrie Irving continues to leave the media guessing as to what his future holds
When healthy, Kyrie Irving is one of the best PGs in the NBA. That’s why the Mavericks traded two rookie starters and a future first-round pick for the 2016 NBA Champion. After his short 20-game stint with the Mavs after the trade deadline, many are wondering if he’ll quit the team.
Last week we received reports of a ‘handshake’ deal between Irving and the Mavs over a new contract max. Today we get news that the “handshake” deal is illegal. It’s hard to know what to believe in this situation. There has always been a mystery to Irving and his future.
The only thing to know is that Irving wants nothing less than a contract max. Brooklyn had intentions to offer Irving a maximum contract after this season. However, off-season discussions regarding a new contract went south and this led to the eight-time All-Star asking for a trade. Based on his past, it’s hard to tell whether or not Irving wants to continue his career with the Mavs.