There was at least one person who did not understand the Dallas Mavericks re-signing guard Kyrie Irving to a massive deal on Friday.
NBA TV analyst and former Phoenix Suns executive Ryan McDonough absolutely went off on the 3-year, $126 million deal Irving reportedly got with the Mavs, one that is said to include a player option in year three.
McDonough notes Irving’s historic unhappiness in whatever situation he’s found himself in and says Dallas could be stuck with a disconcerted Irving for the next three years with this kind of deal structure if things don’t work out.
“Kyrie Irving has been unhappy over the last six years on a winning Cleveland Cavaliers team, a winning Boston Celtics team and a Brooklyn Nets super team where he chose to go four years ago today as a free agent with Kevin Durant,” McDonough said in the segment. “So, why would you give him this kind of money? Why would you give him a player option in the third year?”
McDonough goes on to mention another vital detail about Irving’s contract.
“I have no idea who the Mavericks were bidding against, and why they gave him a deal at this level,” McDonough said at the end of his message, hinting that other NBA teams would in no way have paid Irving that much money and given him that kind of player option.
"I have no idea who the Mavs were bidding against."
Ryan McDonough reacts to the Mavs' reported 3-year, $126M deal with Kyrie Irving pic.twitter.com/n1yfki5isw
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 30, 2023
Coupled with Irving’s troubling history of flirting with antisemitism, it’s more than fair to question why Dallas felt the need to sign him to such a lofty deal.
We’ll see if McDonough’s words echo true as Irving’s contract plays out with the Mavericks, and history seems to be on his side.