Kyrie Irving is back on the floor for the Dallas Mavericks, but that hasn’t stopped his name from surfacing in trade chatter.
After sitting out all of last season because of an ACL injury, Irving is preparing for his return. He posted 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across 50 games in the 2024-2025 season, and he has no physical restrictions entering Mavericks training camp. There’s even a chance the 34-year-old takes part in preseason play, with Dallas opening against the Houston Rockets.
The possibility of Irving being moved before February’s deadline remains part of the conversation, even though he still hasn’t played an official NBA game alongside Cooper Flagg. NBA insider Jake Fischer pointed to the Rockets and an Eastern Conference team as two possible destinations.
"I haven't heard Houston is looking at Kyrie Irving right now, but the past connections with Ime Udoka, the past connections with Kevin Durant, the fact that the Rockets certainly needed point guard play last year… That spot, [and] Miami, with their point guard depth are the early, early, early spots that people around the league are looking at as potential Kyrie Irving trade destinations."
Houston already has a crowded backcourt, with Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Marcus Smart, Reed Sheppard, and Bruce Thornton in the mix. VanVleet is expected to resume his spot as the starting point guard, which would slide Thompson into the shooting guard role.
Even with that setup, VanVleet’s scoring dropped to 14.1 points per game for the 2024-2025 season, and he is almost five years removed from his last All-Star nod. Irving would give the Rockets a much bigger punch offensively, while Sheppard has also made a strong push for more rotation minutes.
The bigger picture for Houston is timing. Kevin Durant, who is 38, has a player option for the 2027-2028 season, and Thompson and Alperen Sengun are both still climbing. That gives the Rockets a clear window to chase a title in 2027, and Irving fits that kind of win-now approach even if he isn’t viewed as a long-term piece at this stage of his career.
Any serious pursuit would come down to the price. A package built around VanVleet, Steven Adams, and light draft compensation could make sense for Houston, while Durant, Sengun, and Thompson are all expected to stay off limits.
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