The Mavericks keep saying they’re not looking to move Kyrie Irving, and for now, they’re planning to open the season with him as the starting point guard. But that doesn’t mean the possibility is off the table down the road.
Dallas has made its long-term direction clear: Cooper Flagg is the centerpiece. Irving is 15 years older than Flagg, and while the team believes the two can coexist, outside teams aren’t fully buying the idea that Irving will be around for the long haul. The thinking is simple enough - if Irving rebuilds some value, Dallas could revisit the idea of moving him later.
There’s also a new layer to this with the front office. Masai Ujiri has taken over as team president and alternate governor, and his past relationship with Irving matters here.
Ujiri is widely respected around the league, and he has grown close to Irving before. That kind of familiarity could make a future conversation a lot smoother if things ever reach that point.
“Masai also has a really good relationship with Kyrie Irving,” Marcus J. Spears said on NBA Today. “I think it's the kind of relationship where if Kyrie says, 'Hey Masai, like this isn't for me,' I think they could work together to get something done.”
For now, though, the Mavericks are trying to make the fit work. The issue is what sits behind Irving on the depth chart. Marcus Sasser and Sergio De Larrea aren’t ready for full-time starting jobs, and Cooper Flagg and Naji Marshall are expected to handle the ball at times without actually being true point guards.
It’s an awkward setup, but not one without hope. Flagg and Irving aren’t the most natural pairing on paper, yet they do have a history of playing off the ball, which gives Dallas at least a workable starting point.
The real pressure comes if the season goes sideways. If the trade deadline arrives and the Mavericks are 10 games below .500, moving Irving would start to make a lot of sense.
Dallas doesn’t have much draft compensation moving forward, and that makes future flexibility even more valuable. New general manager Mike Schmitz built his reputation as a scout for ESPN, and the organization is expected to continue leaning on the draft as a major team-building tool.
And this doesn’t have to be only about Irving. If the Mavericks are stuck near the bottom, they may need to look at veterans in general and see what kind of draft capital they can bring back from contenders.
The Western Conference middle remains wide open, and Dallas could still land in the Play-In mix alongside teams like the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, and others.
In Other News...
Mavericks Have An Obvious Backcourt Fit But One Problem Remains
With Kyrie Irving working his way back from injury, Dallas is staring at a familiar backcourt question: who handles the ball when the offense needs a steady hand? The Mavericks currently have only three true point guards on the roster, and that shortage has made the search for dependable guard help feel especially urgent as they sort through the options already in house.
Ryan Nembhard looks like a natural fit for that need, especially after his rookie year in Dallas gave the staff a previous look at what he can do. The problem is less about interest than logistics, because the Mavericks would have to create room before making any move, leaving them to weigh whether a roster shake-up is worth it while they continue leaning on existing guards and younger players in the meantime. [Read more 🡒]
Dereck Livelys Breakout Hype Comes With One Big Mavericks Concern
The Mavericks head into the 2026-27 training camp with a markedly different look, from the new head coach to the revamped front office and nine fresh faces on the roster. Even with all that turnover, the organization still has interest in continuity up front, keeping P.J. Washington and Dereck Lively II in place as part of the frontcourt the team wants to build around moving forward.
Lively's upside remains a talking point, especially after the flashes he has already shown, but Dallas is still waiting on his body to catch up to the promise. He is recovering from ankle surgery after appearing in only seven games last season, and while general manager Mike Schmitz praised his work ethic and progress, he stopped short of offering any timetable for when Lively will be fully available. [Read more 🡒]
Kyrie Irving Suddenly Feels Like Dallas Biggest Deadline Decision
Miami has already spent the summer reshaping its roster to add shooting and more offensive flexibility after the Giannis Antetokounmpo acquisition, and that kind of aggressive lineup tinkering has only sharpened the leagues attention on what Dallas might do next. Around the NBA, ESPN analysts have raised the idea that Kyrie Irving could be one of the names worth watching, especially with the Mavericks shifting toward a rebuild centered on Cooper Flagg.
For Dallas, that makes Irving more than a veteran scorer with a big reputation. He is now a potential decision point as the front office weighs where the team is headed and how quickly it wants to get there. A Miami pursuit is only speculation for now, with talk of possible pieces like Andrew Wiggins and Davion Mitchell floating around, but the larger question is whether Irving stays part of the Mavericks future at all. [Read more 🡒]