The Dallas Mavericks may end up in the spotlight early this season, but not because of what happens on the floor. The real question is where the franchise goes from here.
Kyrie Irving has spent the summer in trade chatter, and that talk figures to stick around. Even so, Irving has made it clear he wants to remain in Dallas.
“I'm not gonna shy away from saying it's been a little chaotic at times, inside the locker room as well as outside…I'm in love with this place just because of how welcoming it was, not just from the franchise aspect but also the fans, lot of support around the city…We're building something…Having that championship mindset that whatever we face we can deal with," Irving said.
If things go sideways and Irving pushes for a move, there is a sense the Mavericks would work with him rather than dig in.
“Masai also has a really good relationship as you mentioned with Kyrie Irving. 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.
I don't think would be something ugly. I think there would be interest in Kyrie if he's as healthy as he looks,” NBA insider Marc Spears said.
From there, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn floated a familiar name on the other side of a potential deal: the Houston Rockets.
“He's 34 and his team's franchise player is 19. Timeline issues don't need to be deal-breakers, but the Mavericks don't control their own first-round pick again until 2031.
They have to find longer-term assets where they can, and Irving is their most desirable trade piece. How does a reunion with Kevin Durant in Houston sound,” Quinn wrote.
Irving and Durant both still believe they should have won a title together with the Brooklyn Nets, and that never came to pass. A move like this would give them another shot at chasing that goal in the Western Conference.
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Mavericks Already Face An Early Injury Problem They Cant Ignore
The Mavericks are already dealing with the kind of early-season injury churn that can force a rotation to change on the fly, and it is showing up before their first game of a back-to-back. Dallas is among several teams navigating absences and questionable tags across the league, but the Mavs own list is the part that matters most as they try to settle into a rhythm and keep their depth from being stretched too thin.
Dereck Lively II and Caleb Martin are among the names Dallas has had to monitor, and that is exactly the sort of overlap that can make an otherwise routine stretch of the schedule feel complicated. With other injury notes still trickling in around the league, the Mavericks are left waiting for cleaner availability on a night when every healthy body matters a little more than usual. [Read more 🡒]
Cooper Flagg Just Showed Dallas The Next Step In His Rise
Cooper Flagg picked up where his promising rookie season left off by coming out sharp in the Mavericks second-year opener, and the most encouraging part may have been the way his offense looked less dependent on clean looks. He finished with 32 points, but the bigger sign of progress was how often he got to the line, showing a more assertive approach as he attacked the defense and kept pressure on the rim.
For Dallas, that kind of growth matters because it hints at a player who is starting to turn flashes into a fuller scoring package. If Flagg keeps pairing his natural talent with a better ability to take contact and earn fouls, the Mavericks could be looking at a much tougher cover and a much more consistent source of offense as his sophomore season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Sasser Just Gave The Mavericks A Needed Reason For Optimism
The Mavericks did not get the start they wanted against Houston, but Marcus Sasser offered one of the clearer bright spots from the opener. Brought in as an offseason addition, he showed exactly why Dallas believes he can help by giving the backcourt a little more shooting and a little more punch off the bench, two things this roster can always use over the grind of a season.
What stood out most was how smoothly he fit into the game and how quickly he became part of the offense in a tough road environment. For a Dallas team looking for reliable guard depth, Sassers debut was the kind of early reminder that not every answer has to come from the usual names, even if one big question about how his role settles in still hangs over the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]