The Dallas Mavericks might have to make a decision regarding their veteran star soon. The team already has the new face of its franchise in Cooper Flagg, which places Kyrie Irving‘s future with the team into question.
NBA Insiders Tim MacMahon and Marc J. Spears discussed the future and the uncertainties surrounding it.
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Kyrie Irving’s Dallas Mavericks Stint Could End Soon
The 2025-26 season proved that the hype surrounding Flagg is legitimate. Through 70 games, he averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year award.
The 6-foot-9 forward showed that he could be the Mavericks’ franchise cornerstone for a very long time. Still, his emergence does not make the team contenders just yet. Having him simply means they already know who to build around. However, they are likely several years and multiple pieces away from being a title threat.
The Mavericks’ current state does not align with Irving’s career, given that he is already 34. He can neither wait for Flagg to become a bona fide superstar nor for the Mavericks to find the right pieces to surround him with.
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Since their timelines are not in sync, MacMahon believes several teams will keep an eye on this situation. The league insider acknowledged on Monday’s episode of “NBA Today” that Irving is still the team’s veteran leader. However, that might not be the case for long.
“The question that’s being asked around the league is ‘for how long?'” MacMahon said. “How long is this fit with Kyrie and the Mavericks?”
MacMahon clarified that the reason is that Flagg is now the team’s centerpiece, and not because Irving and the Mavericks no longer see eye to eye.
“Would it make sense for both sides to find a contender for Kyrie to go to?” MacMahon continued. “These are the kind of things that people around the league will be monitoring leading up to the trade deadline.”
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Spears later added that if they decided to move on from each other, it would be an amicable split. He highlighted the strong relationship between Irving and Mavericks president Masai Ujiri as the reason for this.
“Masai also has a really good relationship, with Kyrie Irving,” Spears said. “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.”
Irving has not played a game since March 2025. He suffered a torn ACL near the end of the 2024-25 season, which also kept him out of action for the entirety of last season. He is expected to return this upcoming season, but an exact schedule for it has yet to be officially announced.
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Once the nine-time All-Star returns, there’s no doubt that he could elevate the Mavericks. He is one of the league’s most proficient offensive weapons, and he can take defensive pressure off Flagg.
With Irving running the point, the Mavericks would have someone to keep the team steady through difficult stretches. However, staying could mean sacrificing a chance to add another championship ring to his extensive collection of awards and accolades.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
