Headlining the 2023 NBA Free Agency, many were expecting Kyrie Irving to sign with a new team on the first day of free agency. However, Irving decided to stay with the Dallas Mavericks on a new deal, making the team a possible contender for next season.
Many fans shared their reactions to Irving’s contract with the Mavericks, which goes for three years, giving him $126 million. One of the fans who decided to comment was Bill Simmons, a diehard fan of the Boston Celtics.
“Dallas had to go to 3 for 126m for Kyrie because there were at least 3 other teams ready to offer 2 for 25.” – Simmons tweeted.
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Irving saw the chance and decided to reply to Simmons.
“I see you couldn’t help yourself with this one huh Billy Boy,” Irving replied. “Just wanna say I appreciate you and continue to be the person you are. My Tribe says hello.”
Kyrie played for the Celtics for two seasons before joining the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. His exit was anything but graceful and fans of the franchise aren’t ready to forgive him just yet.
Given the interaction of the two personalities, they haven’t moved on from Irving’s last stint with the Celtics. During his time with the team, he promised to re-sign with the team, only to surprise everyone with him opting to play for the Brooklyn Nets.
While in Boston, Irving averaged 24.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.1 assists for the team. He also had two All-Star nods during the two seasons he was playing for the famed franchise. Fans hoped for him to stay and bring a championship, but the eight-time All-Star had other plans.
With the signing of Kyrie Irving, the Mavs haven’t improved their roster
The logical explanation for the Dallas Mavericks trading Kyrie Irving during the trade deadline last season was to give Luka Doncic some help. However, he hasn’t impacted the team significantly and his acquisition caused the team to fall out of the top eight teams for the postseason.
The Mavs fell too deep that they didn’t qualify for the Play-In Tournament. The two stars struggled to play comfortably alongside each other, making them an odd pairing.
With Irving back, Dallas haven’t improved their squad to be able to compete for the title next season. It was obvious that the Mavs needed quality defenders on their roster, but they haven’t done anything to address that issue. The duo of Kyrie and Luka will be interesting to watch, especially now that they’re given more time to prepare.
Also read: Dillon Brooks potentially signing with Kyrie Irving and the Mavs has sent the fans into a frenzy- “It’s so over for them”