Kyrie Irving staying with the Mavericks was the only and best option

It was the only option for the Dallas Mavericks, weary as they are.

It was the best option for Kyrie Irving, who got what he wanted despite the belief he had very little leverage.

The mistakes of the past created the need of the present for both parties, who now must embark upon the battle of building around Luka Dončić and Irving, hoping they’ll play well together and the other corresponding pieces will augment this cemented partnership.

Irving’s three-year pact worth $126 million isn’t at Damian Lillard levels (estimated $60 million a year starting in 2025-26) and is below what Fred VanVleet received from the Houston Rockets — a team Irving was rumored to visit in the coming days.

Extensions for young players have trumped Irving’s salary, and it feels like sticker shock for those who remember a different NBA — the cap has nearly doubled since 2015-16 ($70 million to $136 million in 2023-24).

Salaries have jumped and will continue to jump in the next couple years, so the exorbitant numbers Houston and Dallas shelled out won’t feel so bad before too long.

If that’s who Dallas was bidding against, it was all that was needed for Irving. For all the distractions and internal negotiating that come with having Irving on your team, his talent is undeniable.

And more than anything, Irving feels wanted. You can certainly make the argument he’s not easy to wrap your arms around, but the one thing Dallas has in its favor is Irving knowing he’s not part of some package deal, that he won’t be tolerated but embraced.

Maybe that’s half the battle, or at least a way to produce the best possible results.

He’s more than the player who hit a shot in the Finals seven years ago on LeBron James’ team, more than a player who put up 41 in an elimination game in…