9. Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks (unrestricted)
On the surface, it’s hard to envision Kyrie Irving not re-signing with the Dallas Mavericks. After acquiring him at the NBA Trade Deadline, the Mavs almost have to bring him back. I can’t imagine not re-signing Kyrie will go over well with Luka Doncic. But there’s a belief around the league (dating back to the end of the season) that Kyrie could end up leaving if the right non-Dallas suitor emerges. The problem with that potential scenario playing out is the fact that Kyrie isn’t expected to have a huge market even if he were to test free agency.
Adding to that, as of late, there is a growing confidence that not only is Kyrie going to re-sign in Dallas but that he’s going to re-sign with the team relatively easily. It’s looking more and more like Kyrie is going to stay put with the Mavs. At least for now.
That said, I can’t completely say Kyrie is going to re-sign. He’s arguably the most unpredictable star in the NBA. Even though all signs point to him re-signing with the Mavs, there’s at least an outside chance that he could end up switching up last minute. I’ll earmark that as a 20 percent he could end up going down that somewhat unlikely path.
Confidence meter: 20 percent