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.
In Other News...
Rockets Opening Week Plan Sends An Early Message About Two Veterans
The Rockets are wasting no time making their opening-week priorities clear. Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams will both sit the first back-to-back of the season, a move that says plenty about how Houston wants to handle two veterans it expects to lean on over the long haul. VanVleet gives the offense structure, while Adams brings the kind of interior presence the team needs when he is available, but the Rockets are already choosing caution over pushing either player too early.
What makes the decision even more interesting is how Houston plans to cover the minutes when VanVleet is sidelined. Marcus Smart is set to start at point guard in those games, giving the Rockets a different look than the one Reed Sheppard would provide. It is an early reminder that the rotation is going to be managed carefully, especially with Adams injury history and the teams clear intent to keep him on a controlled workload from the start. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Opener Took A Heated Turn That Changed The Night
Tari Easons night took a sharp turn just minutes into Houstons first regular season game, the kind of early-game chaos that can alter the mood of an opener in a hurry. Fresh off signing a contract extension, Eason got tangled up with P.J. Washington in a physical sequence that quickly escalated, and the result was a flagrant foul and an ejection before the Rockets had even settled in.
Even with Eason gone, Houston kept control of the game and had built a sizeable cushion by halftime, which made the early flashpoint feel even more jarring in hindsight. For a team trying to establish its tone right away, the incident was the kind of reminder that the Rockets can be at their most volatile when the stakes are still low and the emotions are already high. [Read more 🡒]
Fred VanVleets Return Gives Rockets A Boost Theyve Missed Badly
Fred VanVleet is back in the Houston starting lineup, and the early signs have looked like exactly what the Rockets have been missing. After working his way back from the ACL injury he suffered in the 2025 offseason, VanVleet stepped right into a game against the Mavericks and helped settle the group with the kind of steady guard play that has been absent for much of his absence.
His return has already shown up in the box score and in the flow of the game, with points, assists and a steal while Houston has held the lead in the second quarter. For a Rockets team trying to regain some structure and creation on the perimeter, VanVleets presence changes the feel of the offense right away, even if the bigger question is still how quickly he can recapture his full rhythm after such a long layoff. [Read more 🡒]