The Dallas Mavericks are finally past their cursed 2024-25 season that was highlighted by the shocking Luka Doncic trade in early February. Following the deal, the Mavericks were ravaged by injuries that derailed their playoff hopes, and they eventually went out with a whimper in the play-in against the Memphis Grizzlies.

The most notable of those injuries, of course, was to star point guard Kyrie Irving. In early March, Irving went down with a torn ACL that was absolutely devastating to the Mavericks' hopes of competing for a championship with him and Anthony Davis leading the way.

Now, the focus turns toward next season. Irving has a player option for 2025-26 worth $44 million, and it remains to be seen what he will decide to do with that. Regardless of what decision he makes, the star scorer is up for a contract extension, and the Mavericks have a target number of about $120 million over three years in mind, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.

“Irving holds a $44 million player option for next season that he must activate or decline by June 24,” Fischer wrote. “There have been rumbles all season that the Mavericks, either using that option as the starting point for an extension or based on an entirely new deal, have been hoping to re-secure Irving under contract for the next three seasons in the same annual ballpark of $40 million.”

Of course, the former Cleveland Cavalier has revived his reputation during his time with the Mavericks. There has been no locker room drama with Irving like there was in Boston or Brooklyn, and Dallas was able to make it to the 2024 NBA Finals with him and Doncic as a result.

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That, combined with the fact that the Mavericks now need Irving at his best without Doncic, could mean that he wants more than $40 million annually on his next contract. However, it would be understandable for Dallas to be hesitant to commit to a massive contract for a 33-year old coming off of a significant injury.

That is a chief point of concern for the Mavericks, according to Fischer.

“The knee injury and accompanying uncertainty about how soon Irving will return — and how long after that it might take him to regain top form — are obviously variables that potentially complicate negotiations,” Fischer wrote.

How Irving's contract situation shakes out will be one of the biggest storylines to monitor in Dallas this offseason and could affect the Mavs' title chances heading into their first full season with the Davis-Irving duo leading the way.