The NBA playoffs will start this weekend and it is very surprising to see that there will be no Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving to grace the postseason. The Dallas Mavericks failed to make it to the playoffs as they finished 11th in the Western Conference with a 38-44 record.
It is shocking how the Mavericks could not even make it to the play-ins this season. Hence NBA Analyst Colin Cowherd understands that there will be repercussions. On his podcast “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” spoke about Irving’s future in Dallas as the point guard again turns into a free agent in the summer.
He shared how these instinctive moves sometimes work and they simply make the team look a lot better and help them win games and sometimes even titles. But here the move felt like it was going to work but it had failed miserably. The Mavericks went in with a big trade as they handed over Dorian Finney-Smith and Spencer Dinwiddie along with a 2029 first-round pick to acquire the 8-time All-Star guard.
To put things into context, the Mavericks were in the fourth spot before making the trade and after that, they simply could not continue the good work and the performances degraded every day as they finished 11th in the West.
The Mavericks were 7-18 in the last two months and it is so surprising that many people thought that they could win the West this time even before Kyrie Irving’s arrival. The Mavericks reached the Western Conference finals where they lost to Golden State Warriors last season.
The franchise did not put an effort to make it to the play-in tournament later when they knew playoffs were a distant dream. They rested their stars as they are more inclined in finished high in the draft pick and have a shot at Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 Draft.
However, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is certain that Irving will sign for the franchise and has a future in Dallas. He shared that the player is happy and wants to dedicate his future to this franchise.
I want him to stay for sure, and I think we have a good shot,” Cuban said. “I think he’s happy here. He tells me he’s happy here. All I can tell you is everything I thought I knew about Kyrie because everything I read is 100 per cent wrong.”
Whether Kyrie Irving is ready to accept a long-term deal or not is not known yet and whether he deserves a big offer or not after such a poor performance is also a major question. His past record does not indicate a lot of positivity regarding long-term contracts.
