Dallas Mavericks Futures Odds: Luka Doncic Finally Has Help in Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving’s NBA career is a never-ending saga. He entered the league as one of the most promising rookies and swiftly proved himself as one of the best talents ever to play the game. Always one of the hardest workers in the locker room, he was praised for his leadership, teamwork, and work ethic.

Unfortunately, after winning a championship with LeBron James, everything changed. Kyrie forced his way out of Cleveland and has bounced from team to team since. 

He played two miserable years in Boston, where he never lived up to the hype. Irving then forced a move to team up with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn but quickly found himself engulfed in controversy after controversy.

Four years later, he requested another trade amid the season and now finds himself on the Dallas Mavericks. Even Martin Scorsese couldn’t have come up with a better script.

Now, Kyrie has one last chance to prove himself. His contract expires this summer, and if he wants to secure that long-term deal, he must demonstrate his loyalty on and off the court. The Mavericks are in win-now mode and gave up a ton of assets to bring Irving to Dallas.

Is this time going to be different?

2022-23 Record: 31-29 (6th in the West)

A year after making the Western Conference Finals, Dallas was in a weird spot before their trade for Irving. Christian Wood struggled to find an identity, and the team was still too reliant on Luka Doncic.

They were one of the worst road teams in the entire league and had the lowest ATS % out of all 30 clubs. They just weren’t good enough, but they still found themselves in sixth place in the Western Conference. 

Now, they possess the best backcourt in the NBA. Kyrie has shown flashes of brilliance, averaging 28 points per game, while Doncic is in the midst of a career year. This duo can truly outscore anyone they come up against. Even Wood has found some consistency with the starting unit, providing hope he can be a difference-maker come playoff time. 

Only 2.5 games behind third place, the Mavericks are in a prime position to climb the standings and secure another deep run in the postseason.

Southwest Division Winner Odds @ FanDuel

• Memphis Grizzlies -550
• Dallas Mavericks +480
• New Orleans Pelicans +2300

The Southwest Division is the Grizzlies’ to lose. They have dominated all season and are five games ahead of the Mavericks in the standings.

This far into the season, it’s a tough ask for Dallas to come back and claim the division title. Their biggest concern over the next few months is getting Irving acclimated with the team, not winning the division. Building chemistry between their two superstars is crucial for a deep playoff run.

However, with three games remaining between them and Memphis, Dallas does have a slim chance of catching up in the standings. The Grizzlies have struggled against Western Conference opponents this season, and their place in the division will be tested over the next month. 

Keep an eye on the race in the Southwest.

Western Conference Winner Odds @ FanDuel

• Phoenix Suns +220
• Denver Nuggets +300
• LA Clippers +500
• Memphis Grizzlies +700
• Dallas Mavericks +800

This is where things get spicy; Dallas to win the Western Conference at +800 is a tempting bet to take. A worse version of this team made the Conference Finals last year, and this time they have Kyrie and his playoff experience.

Furthermore, the West looks even weaker this time around. The Denver Nuggets are not world-beaters, and the Los Angeles Clippers are the most inconsistent team on this list.

Dallas’s biggest test comes from the Phoenix Suns, but they have had injury problems all year and have yet to play with Kevin Durant. Even so, there will be no one to slow down Doncic. He dominated the Suns in the playoffs just a year ago, and they have now gotten weaker defensively.

Dallas could make a run for the Western Conference title this year, and +800 is too good to pass up. They have been stellar in interconference play, going 23-16 against the West this season.

NBA Championship Winner Odds @ FanDuel

• Dallas Mavericks +1600 (7th)

Before the trade for Kyrie, Dallas wasn’t even in the conversation for winning the NBA Championship. Due to their inconsistent play, oddsmakers had them at +4000 to win the Larry O’Brien.

But now they are the seventh favorite to win, with the trade improving their odds to +1600. Since they could win the shorthanded West, it is tempting to sprinkle some bankroll on them to win the whole thing. 

However, I wouldn’t bank on it and feel safer betting on them in their conference. The team has struggled against the East this season, with an 8-13 record. If they make the NBA Finals, I wouldn’t feel confident in them beating Boston, Philadelphia, or Milwaukee in a seven-game series. Dallas hasn’t beaten any of those teams this year.

Mavericks Upcoming Games

• Feb. 23 vs. Spurs
• Feb. 26 vs. Lakers
• Feb. 28 vs. Pacers

The American Airlines Center has been a fortress this season, as the Mavericks have a 19-10 record at home. They can continue this trend after the All-Star break, with seven of their next ten games in Dallas.

This homestand is perfect because the team needs to get back into the win column. When playing together, Irving and Doncic are 0-2, and the duo has to build chemistry as soon as possible. Only four games separate Dallas from 13th place in the conference, and things can quickly go south if they keep losing.

Since Kyrie is only a “rental,” it is now or never for this iteration of the Mavericks. If it doesn’t work out, don’t be surprised when he walks for free this summer.