Kyrie Irving is not going anywhere. The Mavericks have made it clear to every team that has called that they intend to start the season with Kyrie as their point guard, and they are betting on the Kyrie and Cooper Flagg pairing to reshape their identity.
This is a real commitment from Dallas. Kyrie is 33, coming off a knee injury, and reportedly a name that LeBron James has quietly asked about for Cleveland. The Mavericks could have moved him this summer for a real return of picks and young talent. Instead they are keeping him and building around the Kyrie plus Flagg backcourt.
Cooper Flagg is the point of the plan. The former No. 1 pick was the piece Dallas got in the Luka Doncic trade, and he is the future of the franchise. Pairing him with Kyrie for a couple of years is the bridge before Flagg fully takes over as the primary creator.
Here is what Dallas sees. Kyrie is still an elite scorer when healthy. He is one of the best mid range shooters in the league, he can create off the dribble, and he is a real playmaker when he wants to be. On a roster that has questions everywhere else, having Kyrie on the floor gives Dallas a chance to compete every night.
The Cavaliers reportedly have interest, driven by LeBron’s preference to reunite. Dallas has said no. Not a soft no. A hard no. This is not a negotiating position. The Mavericks want to see how Kyrie and Flagg mesh in real games before they consider anything else.
The risk is obvious. Kyrie’s health is never guaranteed and his availability across a full season is a coin flip. If he is out for extended stretches, Dallas is not competitive, and the front office ends up trading him at the deadline for a worse return.
But the upside is also real. If Kyrie plays 60 games, Flagg develops into a real second option, and Dallas gets healthy from its other injuries, this is a team that could sneak into the playoff picture in the West. That is worth trying for a season.
The Cavaliers are going to keep calling. The Mavericks are going to keep saying no. Kyrie starts the season in Dallas next to Cooper Flagg. That is the plan and it is not changing.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
