The Mavericks’ long-term reset could start with the biggest name on the roster.
In this trade prediction, Dallas sends Kyrie Irving out in a three-team deal and leans harder into a future built around Cooper Flagg. The idea is simple enough: if the Mavs are serious about a youth movement, Irving may not fit the timeline, even with the organization still holding firm for now.
Irving’s age is only part of the equation. There’s also the reality that he missed the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from a torn ACL. Even so, the 34-year-old is expected to be ready for training camp next month, which keeps him squarely in the center of trade chatter.
The report also points to Miami as a team that has been linked to Irving, while another Eastern Conference contender could view him as the kind of veteran playmaker who can steady a young roster and help it make a deep playoff run.
Golden State is part of the proposed framework too, and the Warriors would come away with P.J. Washington, Taurean Prince, a 2027 second-round pick from Milwaukee via Detroit, and a 2028 second-round pick from Charlotte or L.A. via Detroit. The move would match salaries for Golden State while sending out role players Podziemski and Moody.
The logic for the Warriors is straightforward: they remain committed to maximizing Stephen Curry’s remaining years, and Washington is framed as an on-court upgrade that would help that push.
For Dallas, the return is built around youth and draft capital. Holland, Podziemski, Jenkins and Moody would give the Mavericks a group with an average age of 23, while Robinson brings elite 3-point shooting - a need for a team that struggled with consistency from deep last season.
There’s also a local twist. Holland is from Duncanville HS, and Jenkins from Hillcrest HS, making both Dallas natives.
The Mavericks would additionally land a first-round pick from the Pistons, strengthening a 2028 stash that already includes a first-round pick swap with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those picks are expected to land late in the round, but they still give Dallas a shot at adding two quality prospects, something the team already did this offseason.
Marshall and Washington are both on recently signed extensions and are entering their prime years, which makes this kind of move meaningful. Even so, if Dallas were to pull it off, it would send a clear message that new boss Masai Ujiri is looking beyond the short term and focusing on building a true contender around Flagg.
That said, the Mavericks have already made plenty of moves, so another major shake-up before training camp would not be without complications. The more realistic window for something this big may come after the team gets a look at the first month of the season, when trade talks traditionally start heating up ahead of the deadline.
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The challenge now is whether that production translates quickly enough in the NBA, where the three-point line sits farther out and the defensive pressure comes with a different kind of speed and physicality. Recent EuroLeague imports have found that adjustment tricky, and Biberovics path to meaningful playing time may hinge on how closely he can match the shooting efficiency that made him attractive in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Mavericks, the bigger question is less about fit than leverage. A limited market can work both ways: it can keep Washington in Dallas if there are no serious bidders, or it can make him the kind of asset the front office has to at least listen on if another team keeps circling. The Lakers are watching, but the path to a deal still looks complicated enough that this may stay a name to monitor rather than a move ready to happen. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Fans May Need To Rethink One Sergio De Larrea Concern
Sergio De Larreas summer league stint did little to quiet the skepticism around his jumper, as the rookie guard shot just 20 percent from beyond the arc. For a Mavericks team that sees shooting as a key part of his path into a meaningful role, that left plenty of reason to wonder whether his perimeter game would translate once the games got more competitive.
Spain offered a more encouraging snapshot in FIBA World Cup Qualifiers play, where De Larrea showed a cleaner, more confident stroke from deep. It was the kind of response that can change how Dallas views a young guards ceiling, especially when one of the biggest questions around him is whether his shot will hold up against better competition. [Read more 🡒]