The Dallas Mavericks have a busy offseason ahead, but it appears they can breathe at least one sigh of relief.
After trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, things have been anything but smooth in Dallas. With injuries popping up for seemingly every key player over the final few months of the season, none were more crushing than Kyrie Irving’s torn ACL.
Considering how important Irving is to the Mavericks’ hopes of contending for a title, his injury happening just months before he could enter unrestricted free agency added another level of concern. Despite all the chaos within the Mavericks organization, Irving seems to be happy to keep calling Dallas home, according to a report from NBA insider Marc Stein.
"I don’t hear anyone forecasting scenarios where Kyrie Irving is no longer a Maverick. I haven’t heard one scenario presented where he ends up with another team,” Stein reported.
If the Mavericks can ensure that Irving is around again next season and beyond, their hopes of making the NBA Finals again in the near future are well within reach. Sure, Doncic being on the West Coast will continue to make it difficult to be optimistic about Dallas.
However, GM Nico Harrison’s vision is still something to watch. While his moves will only be criticized if things don’t work out, securing the top pick and Cooper Flagg in the lottery might have saved the franchise.
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While Irving could have looked at the situation and the chaos of the past few months and looked to go elsewhere, his potential decision to stay is a sign that things could be moving in the right direction in Dallas.