Although it just started, Kyrie Irving is a big winner in 2023 NBA free agency after signing a 3-year, $126 million contract to stay with the Dallas Mavericks. True to form, though, the controversial point guard made some waves before news of the monumental deal officially broke.

Irving posted 15 stories on his Instagram within a half hour of free agency commencing, via ClutchPoints. Teams usually look for players to be even-keel at a frantic time such as this, but the eight-time All-Star could not resist having some fun on social media. It did nothing to dissuade Dallas, who will be raising many eyebrows after making such a robust commitment to someone as unpredictable as Irving.

The third year of the deal is a player option, but at 31, one has to assume he will be inclined to opt in. Making assumptions on what the 2016 NBA champion will do, though, is ill-advised. Pairing Kyrie Irving with Luca Doncic was an abject failure, but the former did his job and caused no drama during the two months he was with the team last season.

However, the ship was running smooth as can be in Brooklyn before Irving abruptly requested a trade and definitively ended the franchise's championship aspirations. The Mavs have other kinks to work out before they are true contenders, but any outside distractions can be debilitating to their progress.

Right now, this appears to be just an innocuous Kyrie being Kyrie moment and nothing to sound the alarms over. In any case, Dallas has willingly agreed to remain a passenger on this wild ride. At least for now.