The Dallas Mavericks are in a state of flux right now as new team President Masai Ujiri completes his front-office takeover. On the heels of a miserable season, the former Raptors executive has a lot of work ahead of him to restore the once-great franchise to a competitive state.
With veteran big man Anthony Davis already shown the door, the focus has shifted to star point guard Kyrie Irving, who is reportedly the subject of trade interest across the NBA. At 34 years old, many skeptics don’t believe in his long-term fit with the franchise, but Ujiri recently confirmed he plans to retain the nine-time All-Star as a leader and mentor to Cooper Flagg.
“Kevin Durant once told me that there’s only one Kyrie [Irving] walking around in the world,” Ujiri said. “I think we have to figure out a way to make Kyrie fit with our program. I’ve had those conversations with Kyrie, up till yesterday, and I think Kyrie will fit. There’s a huge curiosity in our minds to see how Kyrie fits playing with Cooper Flagg. He’s just an incredible talent, and I think we owe this organization that.”
The Mavericks once called Slovenian point guard Luka Doncic their franchise star, but those days are over now. Since the controversial trade that cost former GM Nico Harrison his job, young forward Coooper Flagg has taken up the mantle as the team’s new leader. While he’s still fresh off his rookie season, with averages of 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game on 46.8% shooting, he showed enough in his first 70 games for the Mavericks to justify building their entire future around him.
The process began with the Anthony Davis trade at the deadline, the first sign that Dallas is following a new timeline. They also fired head coach Jason Kidd, who once had the organization’s full trust. Now, with mounting pressure to trade the remaining veterans (including Klay Thompson), Irving’s future has become increasingly uncertain.
At 34, and coming off an ACL injury, nobody knows if Irving is still capable of living up to his usual standards. But if he’s even a fraction of what he used to be, then it may be worth it to keep him around. As an NBA champion and nine-time All-Star with unmatched handles and scoring ability, Kyrie is a truly special talent who is still capable of playing at an elite level. For the Timberwolves, he’d be an ideal partner for Anthony Edwards and the ultimate role model in the locker room.
But with another two years and $81 million left on his contract, the Mavericks have all the leverage in Kyrie’s future, and they don’t plan to give him up easily. So, unless the Wolves get a can-not-refuse offer, or Irving asks out himself, it seems like the iconic NBA point guard will be staying put in Dallas. Masai believes he can fit the mold of what they are trying to build and the culture they are trying to create.
For a team that has experience trading its greatest stars, the Mavs want to take a different approach. Rather than give up an irreplaceable talent, they want to incorporate him into their own system. It’s a welcome change in strategy for the Mavericks, and a sign that they have begun a new era amid difficult times.
