Kyrie Irving incited chaos a week before the NBA trade deadline. The Luka Doncic solo act known as the Dallas Mavericks were immediately listed as one of his potential suitors.
The basketball fit feels tantalizing. Irving has already shown the ability to play off superstar small forwards in both LeBron James and Kevin Durant. His off-ball ability makes their on-court chemistry seem feasible while also having on-ball skills that can take serious pressure off of Luka Doncic.
But the question marks are potentially just as worrisome, which has the Mavs “hesitating” on going all-in to acquire Kyrie Irving via trade according to The Athletic's Tim Cato:
“Dallas’ first question is whether Irving would be willing to commit to the franchise for longer than this season. Then, the team must contemplate whether it would be interested in committing to him.
“Some members of the team’s front office have hesitation that Irving would be a compatible long-term locker room fit for Doncic given their drastically different off-court personas, several team sources tell The Athletic, all of them granted anonymity so that they could speak freely. It’s one of many factors the team is considering that will inform how these discussions go and whether they actually have any merit.”
The Mavs' level of Kyrie Irving pursuit will ultimately depend on the price tag that comes with him in any trade. The team can push the eject button by not re-signing him in the offseason if things don't work out. But that would be a risky proposition if Dallas needs to give up some of their limited trade assets.
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