The Houston Rockets need an upgrade in their backcourt because relying on a 32-year-old Fred VanVleet, who is coming off a major ACL injury last season, isn’t ideal. Kevin Durant is still on the team, and so is the core of Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun, but they don’t have enough to win in a Western Conference led by the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
They should absolutely target Kyrie Irving, a 34-year-old superstar point guard who might be a risky pickup, given his age and concerning history, but the upside is far greater. Kyrie will make $39,491,282 next season with a $42,416,562 player option in 2027-28.
The deal in place? Moving two veterans who provide excellent locker-room chemistry, along with two picks.
Houston Rockets Receive: Kyrie Irving
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Fred VanVleet, Steven Adams, 2029 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick
Now, the Rockets value what Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams bring to a locker room. But talent is what wins games, and since both players have their doubts about availability, perhaps an all-in move makes sense.
VanVleet is on an expiring deal ($25,000,000), and Adams has two years left ($13,000,000, $11,869,566), so this makes it the perfect time for this swing. Let’s dive into how the trade could play out.
Rockets Form A Star-Studded Lineup
Houston has already made its intentions clear: they want to win while also developing their young core. The Rockets have Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson, and after winning 52 games and finishing 5th in the West last season, the next logical step is figuring out how to turn a promising young core into a legitimate threat in the Western Conference.
That is where Kyrie Irving enters the conversation. Houston needs another elite creator who can manufacture offense when possessions get ugly, and few players in NBA history have been better at that than Irving.
The 9-time All-Star has averaged 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game over his career while shooting 47.3% from the field and 39.4% from three, giving the Rockets a perimeter scorer who doesn’t need 20 dribbles to get to his spot.
More importantly, pairing Irving with Durant (26.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.8 APG, 0.8 SPG, and 0.9 BPG while making the All-NBA Second Team last season) would give Houston two of the best isolation scorers of their generation.
Sengun (20.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.1 BPG while making the All-Star Team) could continue operating as the offensive hub from the elbow and post, while Thompson’s improving game (18.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG) would give the lineup a completely different dimension.
Houston would suddenly have four players capable of creating advantages in completely different ways.
The biggest question would be defense and availability, particularly with Irving coming off a significant injury, but if he’s healthy, the upside is obvious: Irving-Durant-Thompson-Sengun is a far more dangerous playoff core than what Houston currently has.
Mavericks Continue Post-Luka Rebuild
The Dallas Mavericks have already entered a dramatically different era. Cooper Flagg (21.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.9 BPG while winning Rookie of the Year) is now the centerpiece of the franchise’s future. That changes how the Mavericks should view almost every veteran on the roster, including Irving.
Kyrie was outstanding during his time alongside Luka, averaging 25.6 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.0 rebounds during the 2023-24 regular season before helping Dallas reach the NBA Finals.
But Irving turns 35 during the 2026-27 season, and his timeline doesn’t necessarily match Flagg’s. Dallas should be thinking about what its roster looks like when Flagg is 23, 24 and 25, not what it looks like when Irving is approaching the latter stages of his career.
That’s why moving Irving could make sense if the return gives the Mavericks meaningful draft capital and financial flexibility.
VanVleet, on an expiring contract, could provide veteran leadership and organizational stability around Flagg, while Steven Adams gives Dallas a physical big who can rebound, screen, and protect the young star from having to do everything immediately.
Neither player is a replacement for Irving’s shot creation, but that isn’t really the point.
The Mavericks would be exchanging a veteran star whose prime doesn’t perfectly align with Flagg’s development for two first-round picks and players who can help stabilize the roster.
A Blockbuster Mock Trade That Makes Sense
The appeal for Houston is straightforward: go get the star.
VanVleet has been an important part of the Rockets’ rise, but Houston can afford to sacrifice some veteran stability if the return is a player of Irving’s caliber.
VanVleet averaged 14.1 PPG and 5.6 APG two seasons ago before being sidelined last season with an ACL injury, while Adams (5.8 PPG and 8.6 RPG in 32 games last season) provides rebounding, physicality and veteran leadership, but neither player gives the Rockets what Irving does in the half-court.
Houston already has enough size and defensive versatility to survive losing Adams, and Thompson can absorb some of the perimeter defensive responsibilities after VanVleet departs. The two first-rounders make the package substantially more meaningful for Dallas, but Houston would be making the bet that its championship window is now.
Irving gives the Rockets a proven playoff scorer who has averaged 23.0 points per game in his postseason career, and his ability to create late in games could be precisely what separates Houston from another first-round playoff exit.
For Dallas, two first-rounders plus two veterans is a reasonable price for a player who may not be on the same timeline as Flagg. The Mavericks aren’t admitting Irving is washed or that he can’t help them win; they’re recognizing that their most valuable asset is Flagg, and future assets are necessary.
