Kyrie Irving's Uncertain Future Is the Story That Will Define the Mavericks' Season

The Dallas Mavericks have spent this entire offseason trying to answer one question: what exactly are they building? New president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz have reshaped the front office, hired coach Dusty May, and committed to building around Cooper Flagg. But the most compelling storyline of the past week centers on the player who doesn't fit neatly into that timeline: Kyrie Irving.

Trade rumors have been circulating all summer, but they intensified dramatically in the last seven days. Rival teams have reportedly expressed interest in Irving, and the chatter has picked up enough that multiple outlets felt compelled to weigh in. One FanSided article this week flatly argued that trading Irving now "would be an absolute disaster for the Mavericks." Another suggested that the age gap between Irving and Flagg could eventually force Dallas to move him.

The speculation gained a new wrinkle with the departure of assistant coach Phil Handy, who left Dallas to join the Philadelphia 76ers. Handy had a close relationship with Irving, and his exit adds another layer of uncertainty to an already murky situation. Add in the fact that the Mavericks bought out Klay Thompson — who then signed with the Miami Heat — and the roster around Irving looks dramatically different than it did a year ago.

Here's the tension: Irving missed essentially all of last season recovering from an ACL injury. He has yet to play a single game alongside Flagg, the franchise cornerstone who averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game as a rookie. The Mavericks won just 26 games last season, and the BetMGM win total of 34.5 for the upcoming campaign reflects a team expected to improve but still viewed as a work in progress.

The encouraging sign? Michael Porter Jr., who played with Irving recently, said the veteran guard "looked great" in workouts — a relief for a fanbase that has spent over a year worrying about how Irving would look after the injury.

Here's why this matters for the season: the Mavericks' ceiling hinges almost entirely on what happens with Irving. If he returns healthy and plays at an All-Star level alongside Flagg, Dallas has a legitimate chance to exceed expectations and push toward the play-in picture. His floor spacing and shot creation would give Flagg the co-star he never had during his rookie campaign. Articles this week have noted that Irving and Marcus Sasser give the Mavericks two reliable floor-stretching guards, something the team lacked entirely last season.

But if the trade rumors persist into the season — or if the front office decides that Irving's timeline doesn't match Flagg's — the Mavericks could find themselves in a difficult position. Trading Irving midseason would essentially wave the white flag on 2026-27 and concede that this is a full rebuild. Keeping him, on the other hand, means betting that a 30-something guard coming off a major knee injury can complement a rising superstar.

For now, the Mavericks seem committed to letting the Irving-Flagg pairing play out on the court. The win total suggests oddsmakers believe this team is meaningfully better than last year's 26-win squad, and Irving's health is the single biggest variable. Whether Dallas keeps him, trades him, or lets the speculation linger into the regular season, his situation will shape everything — from the team's record to Flagg's development to how Ujiri's rebuild is ultimately judged.