A mock trade from Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley has Kyrie Irving heading to the Toronto Raptors, but the return for Dallas is light enough that it’s hard to see the Mavericks biting.
The proposal sends Irving north in exchange for Immanuel Quickley, Ja’Kobe Walter and a 2028 first-round pick that is top-five protected. On paper, it’s the kind of swing that could push Toronto back into the title conversation, especially with the Eastern Conference looking stronger than it has at any point this century.
The Raptors finished fifth in the East at 46-36 last season, and the idea here is straightforward: add another elite creator to a group that already includes Kawhi Leonard, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl. Irving, a nine-time All-Star, averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocks per game for Dallas in 2024-25, making him exactly the kind of ball-handler Toronto would want next to its existing core.
There’s just one giant caveat. Irving tore his ACL in March 2025 and missed the entire 2025-26 season.
He reportedly could have returned as early as December 2025, but Dallas had no real reason to rush him with the team not looking like a playoff contender. His rehab is said to have gone amazingly well, and the expectation is that he should be fine once he gets back on the floor.
For Toronto, the upside is obvious. If Irving and Leonard are both available, the Raptors suddenly look a lot more dangerous. The weak spot in that projected starting five would be Poeltl, who wasn’t at his best last season because of injuries, but a bounce-back year there would give the group real balance.
Dallas, though, has every reason to hold firm. The Mavericks have already taken a step back after trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards in February 2026, and it has long seemed possible that Irving would eventually be moved. Still, reports say Dallas told interested teams that it wants to keep Irving alongside Cooper Flagg and didn’t plan to blow up the roster.
That’s why Buckley’s package feels so thin. Quickley is the headliner, and he put up 16.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.1 blocks per game in 2025-26, but he’s also in the third year of a five-year, $162 million deal.
Walter, meanwhile, finished his sophomore season with 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.2 blocks per game, showing some flashes as a backup. The pick has some appeal, too, but it’s top-five protected and comes in 2028, which limits its value.
In the end, the answer is pretty simple: Dallas says no. If Irving’s recovery is really as strong as reported, the Mavericks can wait and see him play again.
If he gets back to All-Star form, the offers should improve. And if he doesn’t, this still doesn’t look like the kind of deal that forces their hand.
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