DALLAS — When the Dallas Mavericks traded for superstar guard Kyrie Irving, everyone knew it was a risk. 

Irving, who possesses a checkered history and has left each team he's played for in a cloud of smoke and smoldering embers, is also an unrestricted free agent this summer and, when he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets, gave no assurance that he would re-sign with whatever franchise he was traded to. 

The Mavericks, desperate for help alongside Luka Doncic after letting Jalen Brunson walk in the 2022 offseason, traded two starters in Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith, and future draft capital for Irving. The hope was that a few months in Dallas coupled with a deep playoff run would be enough to convince that enigmatic Irving to re-sign with the franchise. 

And then, Irving, in his introductory press conference, told a crowded room of reporters that he was unwilling to talk contract extension with the media until the season was over. For a brief moment, it looked like Irving was going to be a risky move by a desperate franchise that would have left it ill-equipped to re-sign him in the summer. But a recent report by NBA insider Marc Stein indicates that Irving is not only open to signing a contract extension in Dallas, but if everything plays out as planned, a contract extension is a legitimate possibility. 

"The early signals emanating from Mavsland suggest that a multi-year deal for Irving is certainly feasible, but the general uncertainty stemming from his free-agent-to-be status creates a layer of pressure felt at all levels by Dallas," Stein wrote in his newsletter. 

It has been well-reported that Irving and the Nets didn't see eye-to-eye in terms of contract length and dollar amount. It's why Irving requested a trade to begin with. And given Irving's well-documented off-court struggles, it is understandable why he is seeking the assurance of a long-term contract, while it is also rational to see why most NBA teams are unwilling to grant him a full-term max contract offer. He doesn't have a spotless reliability track record. 

But where desperation exists, chances are taken. And the Mavericks are very desperate. Letting Brunson walk to New York is Dallas' bugaboo. The lack of help around Doncic led the 24-year-old superstar to request an upgrade to the roster in January. 

That angst and pressure forced Dallas' hand, as Doncic co-signed to the Irving deal that sent away key teammates who helped the Mavericks reach the Western Conference finals. 

The early results of the trade have been a mixed bag. Irving and Doncic, when playing together, possess a losing record. And the two have been riddled with injuries for the better part of March, resulting in a Mavericks team that hovers around .500. Those early struggles haven't quelched much of the front office's anxiety surrounding retaining Irving. It has made the pressure to succeed with the superstar pairing paramount to building a future championship contender. 

"The Mavericks simply need the partnership to not just work but flourish so they can A.) feel better about a long-term outlay to Irving and B.) then devote the requisite energy to addressing the various (and significant) roster holes beyond the backcourt," Stein wrote.

Central to Dallas' anxiety is Irving's unpredictability. The Mavericks could make a deep postseason run, and Irving may still elect to walk in free agency. Or, the Mavericks could stumble in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and Irving could elect to stay. What remains a solid fact is that a contract extension for Irving is what the Mavericks desire, and it remains a real possibility despite lackadaisical production since the February trade. But like much of everything with Irving, that is subject to change.