


Everything is bigger in Texas.
For unrestricted free agent point guard Kyrie Irving, he’s hoping that saying applies to the contract he will be able to land as he is expected to sign a new max deal with the Dallas Mavericks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“The market for Kyrie Irving … legitimate places that he would leave Dallas for that make sense, that are available to him, it’s extremely limited, perhaps almost nil,” Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter. “The full expectation is that he returns in Dallas. The question will be what kind of deal does he go back on? How many years on a contract? I don’t think the money will be as much of an issue as how many fully guaranteed years are there for Kyrie Irving?
“I think that’s where the negotiation is going to be between he and the Mavericks. But if he wants to maximize his money on this deal, the place to do that is in Dallas. If he wants a chance to win and make a lot of money, or certainly win at a certain level playing with Luka Dončić … they certainly have much more to do with that roster but certainly a very formidable one-two punch with the Mavericks, it is back in Dallas. Again, the question will be how many years is that deal? What kind of commitment do the Mavericks make to Kyrie Irving?”
The Mavericks can offer Irving a five-year, $272.9 million max contract, the most money the eight-time All-Star would be able to receive from any team.
Considering that Irving has averaged 27 points and six assists over the last four seasons, the high price tag is certainly warranted.
The issue with committing to Irving long-term, however, is the concern for many teams.

Over that same four-year period, the 2016 NBA Champion has played an average of 41 games per season.
Whether it be legitimate injury or personal reasons, Irving has missed considerable chunks of time during the last few years.
The only other team where the guard would realistically be willing to go is the Los Angeles Lakers to join up with former teammate LeBron James, who Irving has reportedly reached out to about joining him in Dallas.
However, with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka set on re-signing his players from last season that helped the team make it to the Western Conference Finals, it is unlikely the Lakers would have enough cap space to sign Irving unless he either takes a massive pay cut or tries to facilitate a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks.

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported on Wednesday that the three-time All-NBA guard is searching for “a place where he can spend the rest of his career, the place that feels like home.”
If nothing else, Irving can certainly buy himself a nice home in Dallas with all that money from a new deal.