According to NBA rumors, a new and unexpected suitor could be emerging for Kyrie Irving, complicating things for the Mavs and several other teams.
According to Marc Stein, if the Rockets are unable to land James Harden this off-season, they may look to add Kyrie Irving instead. After three years, Houston is tired of rebuilding and is ready to win now. This might involve offering Kyrie Irving a full max deal.
Given how last season went, it seems like not a lot of teams would have an interest in signing Irving to a long-term max deal. At the end of the day, it could only be a couple of teams who offer him serious deals for him to consider. Among those teams, the Rockets might be the only option that offers him a full max.
The Lakers will most likely dance around the Irving question but it is highly unlikely that the L. A front office offers Irving a long-term deal. The Mavs are reportedly interested in re-signing him. The Suns have been mentioned in rumors but it's not clear how interested they are.
Do these NBA rumors mean Dallas will offer a full, long-term max deal to Kyrie Irving?
Still, Dallas, might not hitch their entire wagons to Irving. It did not work out well after they acquired him last season. If Irving is unable to produce on a max deal, it could be one of the reasons that Luka Doncic requests a trade at some point in the future.
Still, it seems like the Rockets could avoid the noise and decide to go all-in on Irving if they are unable to get Harden this summer. After three years of misery, they have stocked up on young players and have a bunch of Nets' first-round picks to dangle in trades. They would also be able to open up another max slot if they were to sign Irving.
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