Kyrie Irving isn’t looking anywhere else.
According to ESPN, the former Duke guard has shown no interest in leaving the Dallas Mavericks, where he and Cooper Flagg are teammates. The two Blue Devils are the top players on the roster and, by all accounts, have clicked quickly.
“I’m in love with this place just because of how welcoming it was, not just from a franchise aspect, but also the fans,” Irving said. “A lot of support around the city.”
That comfort level matters in a Mavericks lineup that already includes another Duke name in Dereck Lively II. For Duke fans, Dallas has become a familiar stop.
Irving’s connection to the Blue Devils goes back to his brief but electric 2010-11 season in Durham. He played just 11 games, but he made every one of them count, averaging 17.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 52.9% from the field, 46.2% from 3 and 90.1% from the free-throw line.
His signature Duke performance came against Michigan State on December 1, 2010, when he scored 31 points and added six rebounds and four assists in an 84-79 win. Duke finished that season 32-5 before falling to Arizona in the West Regional Semifinal.
Even in the NCAA Tournament, Irving looked like a pro before he ever became one. He averaged 17.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in the tournament, then went No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2011 NBA Draft after just 11 college games.
Since then, Irving has built a résumé that includes stops with the Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks. He won the 2016 NBA championship alongside LeBron James in Cleveland and remains one of the most accomplished Duke alumni in NBA history.
Flagg sees that up close every day.
“He just makes it easy to play with him,” Flagg said. “Obviously, he's one of the greats of our game. He's an incredible talent, but I think that combined with his personality makes it easy to fit next to and play with him.”
Irving entered the season with career averages of 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the regular season, along with 23.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists in the playoffs. Before the ACL tear last season, he was putting up 24.7 points and 4.6 assists per game in 2024-25. So far this year, he’s averaging 19.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 51.2% from the floor, 32.0% from 3 and 100.0% from the foul line.
Flagg’s rise has been just as loud. In his lone season at Duke, he averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists. His best college game came against Notre Dame on January 11, 2025, when he erupted for 42 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
The Mavericks made Flagg the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and he delivered immediately as a rookie. He played in 70 games and averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 46.8% from the field, 29.5% from deep and 82.7% at the line. He also posted 13 double-doubles and had his biggest night on April 3 against the Orlando Magic, when he scored 51 points in 33 minutes to become the first teenager and the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 in a game.
Right now, Flagg is averaging 25.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.
In Other News...
Duke Fans Have One Huge Reason To Watch Asa Montgomery Today
There is plenty happening around Duke right now, but the spotlight today is on the recruiting trail, where five-star small forward Asa Montgomery is expected to announce his college commitment. For a program that keeps landing in the conversation for elite talent, this is the kind of decision that can shape both the immediate future and the long view, especially with the Blue Devils already carrying momentum from a roster that includes names like Kager Knueppel and Luke Paul.
The timing adds to the buzz, too, with former Duke standouts Cooper Flagg and Cameron Boozer off to strong starts in the NBA and the football program gearing up for a key home game against Boston College during a demanding stretch. Still, for basketball fans, Montgomerys announcement is the headline worth circling, because it could give Duke another major piece to build around and keep the programs talent pipeline rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Freshmen Just Gave Jon Scheyer A Real Rotation Problem
Duke is coming out of preseason with something every coach wants and every rotation chart hates: options. As the Blue Devils get ready to host Army in their regular-season opener, a handful of freshmen have already made the case that they belong in the mix, with Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, Deron Rippey Jr., Cameron Williams and Bryson Howard all showing different flashes of what they can bring. For Jon Scheyer, the early challenge is less about finding talent than figuring out how to sort through it.
The upside is obvious, but so is the uncertainty that comes with freshmen learning the pace and demands of college basketball. Some of those roles figure to change from game to game as Duke settles in, which gives the staff flexibility but also creates a tricky balancing act once the games start counting. The opener should offer a first real look at how much trust Scheyer is willing to place in that young group right away. [Read more 🡒]
Duke Faces A Real Test As Boston College Brings New Momentum
Boston College is showing up to this Atlantic Coast Conference matchup with a little more life than its record might suggest, and Duke will have to be ready for it. The Eagles have pieced together back-to-back comeback wins, leaning on the kind of late-game resilience that can change the feel of a season, and now they get their first meeting with Duke since 2022 in a game that should tell both teams something.
For the Blue Devils, the timing is interesting after a close win over Virginia, the kind of game that can either sharpen a team or leave it vulnerable if the edge slips. Duke will be watching its own health as well, with Walker Eget expected to play despite a recent finger injury, while Boston College brings Mason McKenzie, Bo MacCormack III and a bit of momentum into a matchup that suddenly looks more demanding than it might have a few weeks ago. [Read more 🡒]