National Basketball Association

Kyrie Irving to change jersey number if he re-signs with Mavericks

Published Jun. 26, 2023 7:56 p.m. ET

Kyrie Irving has not committed to a team for the upcoming NBA season, but should he return to Dallas, he'll be donning a new number.

Irving wore No. 2 last season after being sent to Dallas from Brooklyn in February ahead of the trade deadline. It's the same number he wore during his first six seasons in the league with Cleveland (2011-17).

If he does decide to re-sign with Dallas, Irving will wear No. 11 going forward — a number he wore with both Boston (2017-19) and Brooklyn (2019-23). Dallas' first pick in the latest draft, center Dereck Lively II, will wear No. 2 next season.

The No. 11 jersey was previously worn by Mavs guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who will wear No. 10 if he returns to Dallas.

The eight-time All-Star is currently an unrestricted free agent and will likely command max money from potential suitors. Dallas has already voiced its desires to retain Irving, who has been quiet about his intentions up to this point.

Perhaps this new numerical reveal could be an omen for the future.

Irving averaged 27.0 points on 51% shooting, 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game with a 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio in 20 appearances with Dallas this past season. After Irving joined the team, the Mavs went 10-18 to plummet from fourth in the Western Conference standings to missing the playoffs altogether (Dallas was 8-12 in games Irving played).

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