Kyrie Irving expected to re-sign, injury complicates timeline

Jun 11, 2025 2:57 PM

While Kyrie Irving is expected to decline his $42.9 million player option for the 2025–26 season with the Dallas Mavericks, that decision doesn’t appear to indicate a departure from the franchise.

Instead, multiple league sources, including veteran NBA insider Marc Stein, believe Irving is highly likely to re-sign with Dallas on a new multi-year deal.

“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 said, emphasizing the consistent belief around the league that Irving’s future remains in Dallas. “But I also don’t have a handy projection for how this contract is going to turn out.”

During the 2024–25 season, there had reportedly been talks or at least informed speculation about what a new contract might look like for the veteran guard.

Before any major changes to the roster or Irving’s health, Dallas was thought to be considering a three-year deal in the $120 million range, or about $40 million annually, according to Stein.

“During the season, the whispers that were going around was that the Mavs would like to do a three-year deal in the $40 (million) a year range. So, a three-year deal that was $120 (million) again,” he explained.

However, Stein also noted that two major developments have shifted the dynamics of those negotiations: one on the roster, and one in Irving’s medical status.

First, the departure of Luka Doncic, who either has been traded or left via free agency, depending on the situation, significantly increases Irving’s value within the Mavericks organization.

Without Doncic, Irving is now the lone proven elite guard on the roster, raising the urgency for Dallas to retain him.

“On one hand, Kyrie Irving is the only elite proven guard on this roster. And with Luka Doncic no longer here, his value to the Mavericks has theoretically skyrocketed,” Stein said.

But that leverage is complicated by a serious injury. In early March, Irving suffered an ACL tear, and there’s still no clear timeline for his return to the court.

Recovery from ACL injuries can vary significantly, and the Mavericks are still unsure whether he’ll be available by January, February, or possibly later in the 2025–26 season.

“But on the flip side, of course, as everyone knows, in early March, he sustained an ACL tear… No one can still tell you when we’re going to see Kyrie Irving again. Is it January? Is it February?”

In short, while Irving’s future remains tied to Dallas for now, the details of his next contract – length, structure, and value – are complicated by both his increased importance to the team and the uncertainty surrounding his health.