Now that the NBA Finals have wrapped up, offseason news is buzzing on every basketball fan’s phone. The latest comes from the Dallas Mavericks, who agreed to a three-year, $119 million contract with point guard Kyrie Irving. An interesting thing to note here is that Irving is still recovering from a torn ACL that will sideline him for much of the upcoming season starts.
He’s declining his $43 million player option in the last year of his current contract and instead agreed to the new extension, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. But it isn’t just Irving who is factoring into their plans as the Mavericks front office seems to build itself up. They’re eyeing many other candidates, including two former Los Angeles Lakers.
Dallas Mavericks Try To Bridge the Kyrie Irving Gap
Per Charania, the Mavericks are possibly looking to bring in D’Angelo Russell and Dennis Schröder to Dallas soon. In his article, he states that Dallas plans to use its $5.7 million taxpayer mid-level exception to bring in short-term talent. That list reportedly includes D’Angelo Russell and Dennis Schröder, both former Lakers, among others.
“Irving, 33, will miss the start of the 2025-26 season, but is hopeful to return as soon as January 2026,” Charania wrote. “The Mavs are expected to open up the $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception by signing Irving to this deal. Potential targets for that salary slot would have included Dennis Schroder, D’Angelo Russell, Chris Paul, and Malcolm Brogdon, sources said.”
BREAKING: Dallas Mavericks nine-time NBA All-Star Kyrie Irving is declining his $43 million player option and intends to sign a three-year, $119 million contract with the franchise, sources tell ESPN. The deal includes a player option in the 2027-28 season. pic.twitter.com/hduY1vEVVP
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 25, 2025
Russell, who was once viewed as a backup floor general during his time with the LA Lakers, can be a stronger fit in the Mavericks. His ability to manage the game and contribute offensively can make him a valuable stop-gap starter until Kyrie Irving returns.
Russell has had quite a journey in the league since he was drafted by the Lakers as the second-overall pick in 2015. He spent his first three seasons with them before moving on to the Brooklyn Nets and Minnesota Timberwolves. He was traded to the Golden State Warriors in July 2019 and spent half of a season there before making it back to Minnesota in February 2020.
He ended up coming back to Los Angeles before being traded to Brooklyn once again this past February.
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On the other hand, Schröder brings in proven scoring prowess and his high-level experience, as has may command more than what Dallas is willing to offer.
While Schroder had a shorter stint with the Warriors, he appeared in 24 games for the team. He had two separate stints with the Lakers, once in 2020-21 and then in 2022-23.
In addition to Russell and Schröder, Paul — a former All-Star guard — is also on the Mavericks’ wishlist. With a career spanning two decades, Paul could slot in as a starter early on and transition into a mentor role from the bench once Irving is healthy.
Brogdon rounds out the group as another capable, reliable guard option under the mid-level exception.
But Dallas’ overarching strategy is clear: they want steady and experienced point guards to stabilize everything while Irving gets better. With their $5.7 million taxpayer exception now available to them, the Mavericks can secure any of these veterans without disrupting their long-term salary structure.
