Could Mark Cuban tie up Kyrie Irving in a contract early this offseason? Looking at new rule changes in the CBA

Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving is set to enter unrestricted free agency in the offseason. However, new changes to the NBA/NBPA collective bargaining agreement can be expected to increase Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s chances of keeping him in Dallas.

According to The Athletic, teams will now be able to start discussions and negotiations with their own free agents one day after the final game of the NBA Finals in June, potentially starting talks weeks earlier than current regulations allow.

The new timeline is a significant departure from the previous policy, which stipulated that teams could not officially discuss free agent contracts until July 1. With the ability to start negotiations early, teams will have more time to plan for the upcoming season and make strategic decisions regarding their rosters.

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBAPA) announced that they had reached a tentative agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement earlier this month. However, it should be noted that the deal still needs to be ratified by players and team governors before it can become official.

Mark Cuban and Dallas Mavericks handed a boost in chances of re-signing Kyrie Irving?

The fact that the Dallas Mavericks missed out on the playoffs is down to their trade decisions. The Kyrie Irving trade saw them get rid of Spencer Dinwiddie and Dorian Finney-Smith and their depleted defense and injury troubles saw them eliminated from play-in contention as well.

The front office decided to rest Irving and four other starters in order to save a potential draft pick. The decision was met with disappointment by fans and coach Jason Kidd, who claimed that they were “fighting for their lives.”

Regardless, while Irving has been linked to a number of teams already, Mark Cuban recently claimed that the polarizing point guard wants to stay:

"I want him to stay for sure and I think we have a good shot. I think he's happy here. He tells me he's happy here. All I can tell you is everything I thought I knew about Kyrie because of everything I read is 100 percent wrong."

While the Mavericks will need to make some changes in order to compete again, the team has a generational talent in Luka Doncic to build around. Even if Kyrie Irving ends up leaving, there will be plenty of moves available to the front office. However, that has been true for quite a few seasons now.