Irving is a very efficient scorer, as he has some of the best touch around the rim in the league. He's one of the best under-the-rim finishers in league history. His ability to finish high off the glass, at difficult angles, with either hand, all while going full speed is essentially unparalled. His terrific ball-handling ability allows him to get in the lane often. He has shot above 39% on 3-pointers for 11 of his 13 NBA seasons, and has consistently been a very good, and at times elite, midrange shooter as well. Despite being one of the most gifted scorers in the world, Irving hasn't quite consistently done enough in other aspects of the game to be considered a top-10 player in the league. He has never been a high-assist player or great play-maker, and isn't an elite passer. He's not going to carve up defenses in pick-and-roll the way someone like Luka Doncic or Trae Young will. He also doesn't get to the free throw line as often as some of the elite scorers, and has been getting to the rim less frequently in recent years, posting a career low 3.6 attempts per game in '23-'24. On defense, Irving is below-average but moves his feet well and fights over screens when the games matter the most. He gets steals at a slightly above-average rate. The Mavericks were able to have a very good defense with Irving and Doncic in the lineup, although some of that was due to playing defense-oriented players around them, which somewhat hurt their offense. The questions about Irving off-the-court issues have quieted recently. He still has trouble staying healthy, as he hasn't played in more than 60 regular season games since '18-'19. Irving will be 33 years old as a potential free agent in 2025, but if the Mavericks continue to have success with him as their #2 option, I would expect him to have max or near-max offers.