NBA Rivals Monitor Dallas Mavericks Star Guard Kyrie Irving Trade Availability

Rival NBA franchises are actively monitoring the trade availability of Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving as the upcoming season approaches, despite the organization's repeated public insistence on retaining the nine-time All-Star.

Opposing executives remain skeptical regarding how firmly Dallas will maintain its stance once the regular season begins and the Feb. 11 trade deadline approaches, according to NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Irving, 34, missed the entire 2025-2026 season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in March 2025. Before the injury, he averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game during the 2024-2025 campaign, shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.1% from three-point range. He is owed $39.5 million this coming season and holds a $42.4 million player option for the 2027-2028 season.

Dallas front office leadership expressed initial optimism about pairing the veteran guard alongside 2025 No. 1 overall pick and reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, who is nearly 15 years younger than Irving.

Newly appointed president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri outlined the team's perspective during his introductory remarks earlier this summer.

"There's a huge curiosity in our minds to see how Kyrie fits playing with Flagg," Ujiri said. "He's just that kind of incredible talent and player. And I think we owe that to this organization."

The front office subsequently hired Dusty May away from Michigan as the franchise's new head coach, replacing Jason Kidd to lead the team's development.

May echoed the front office's sentiment regarding the veteran guard's presence on the roster.

"Kyrie knows what it takes to win a championship, so as a first-time NBA coach, I'm gonna lean on him in a lot of areas," May told reporters in June.

Despite the endorsement from the coaching staff, the support system Irving established during his initial years in Dallas has undergone significant changes. Former head coach Jason Kidd was replaced, while assistant coach God Shammgod departed for the Orlando Magic in 2025. Furthermore, assistant coach Phil Handy, who worked closely with Irving during his rehabilitation, reached an agreement to join Nick Nurse's staff with the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to reports from Bleacher Report, Hoops Rumors, and Sports Illustrated, rival teams view Irving as Dallas' primary trade asset during its ongoing rebuild. Outside suitors, including the Detroit Pistons, are expected to keep tabs on his performance post-injury to see if the Mavericks pivot toward acquiring future assets around Flagg.

According to Marc Stein, "The Mavericks, as we've been writing since mid-June, have consistently swatted away trade interest this offseason in nine-times-an-All-Star guard Kyrie Irving."

Stein added that "Rival teams, however, continue to wonder aloud about how firmly Dallas will stick to that stance once the season begins and the next in-season trade deadline on Feb. 11 gradually approaches."

If Dallas experiences on-field struggles early in the 2026-2027 schedule or determines that Flagg's rapid progression requires a shifted timeline, rival front offices anticipate the Mavericks may reconsider their position before the February deadline.