Kyrie Irving's free agency takes surprising turn with latest report

It appears the intrigue and excitement surrounding Kyrie Irving's impending free agency may have just been a whole lot of hot air all along. Not only are some of the top/big-named teams who were listed as potential suitors not making a move to add him, but it seems Irving may not actually have a market at all, as Marc Stein reported.

Following the trade of Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, Stein broke down how it impacted Irving's free agency and dropped a few truth bombs in the process. As he explains, the Suns were initially believed to be a potential suitor for Irving, which is now off the table. And then there's the always-fun Irving-to-Los Angeles chatter focused around the idea of Irving teaming up with LeBron James once again.

Per Stein's report, not only have the Lakers not pieced together how Irving would fit or how to make the cap space work for the rest of the roster, they "do not plan to pursue Irving in free agency" at all. But that's not where the wild 180 of the All-Star's looming free agency stops.

"League sources say that these developments — especially the latter — have reinforced the notion that the Mavericks appear to be the only confirmed bidder for Irving's services as the opening bell for 2023 NBA free agency at 6 p.m. ET on June 30 draws near," Stein reported.

The Mavericks being currently the only confirmed bidder for Irving is one of the most surprising free agency updates that's been reported. While this could obviously change in the coming days or weeks, it's fair to wonder if teams are just opting to let another franchise take on the drama the eight-time NBA All-Star has been known to bring.

Kyrie Irving's time with the Mavericks

Irving, who played in just 20 games for the Mavericks last season after the team acquired him via trade, is still expected to get a huge contract from the franchise. Dallas has a major focus on adding as much talent as possible around Luka Doncic in an effort to put themselves in the best position possible to convince the 24-year-old star not to leave in free agency in 2027 or opt out of his contract in 2026-27.

Although the Mavericks will surely need to make an additional move or two before they're considered in the mix as a legitimate title contender, Irving unquestionably has the talent to push them forward. The one big question, assuming he re-signs with the Mavericks, is if he and Doncic can improve their chemistry on the court, and specifically if it can happen quickly in the 2023-24 season.

The Mavericks went just 8-12 in games Irving played down a crucial stretch of last season, a result that pushed them just outside of the playoff picture, missing the No. 10 seed and a spot in a play-in game by four games.