As things start to get very dark around the Dallas Mavericks, just a few weeks into the season, a new report explains why the franchise is likely to be a big seller this season.
While the Mavs knew they wouldn’t have Kyrie Irving for the first half of the season, the organization believed they still had enough pieces to be an impact team out West in its first full season without franchise great Luka Doncic. They have future Hall of Famers Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson. No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, and some strong rotation players.
However, the 2025-26 season has been a mess. They enter the week with a dismal 3-7 record, have had surprising losses to the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards, and currently have the worst offense in the NBA. Would having Irving help? Of course, but he is not returning any time soon, and there is no help coming.
It is a major reason why general manager Nico Harrison’s firing is rumored to be a matter of when, not if. A team that looks lottery-bound after trading a beloved star who was only 25 shows this is a poorly constructed group and needs to be broken up eventually. Yet, beyond just shaking things up, NBA insider Marc Stein explained this week why trading players and getting first-round draft assets is a must for the Mavericks this season.
In a new post on the Stein Line, the veteran insider reminded Dallas fans about a very sad fact: The 2026 NBA Draft is the only draft where Dallas controls its own first-round pick between now and 2031. In their acquisitions of Irving, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford, the team gave away control of their selections in 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030.
Could the Dallas Mavericks trade Kyrie Irving or Anthony Davis?
Mavericks
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Harrison has shortened the team’s championship window by relying on very good, but also very injury-prone veterans Davis and Irving. Furthermore, while there is hope Flagg can be a star in the league for years to come, he is only 18, and his first few weeks in the NBA have shown his development is going to take some time.
This team, even when Irving returns from a torn ACL, is not winning a championship. That is why the franchise must consider getting more first-round draft assets to build around Flagg and find him another young star to team with in the years ahead. Their most notable players are Davis and Irving, but would they be able to trade them?
With the 33-year-old Irving coming off ACL surgery, it would seem like him and his three-year deal worth $118 million would be hard to move. But players like Irving have immense value in today’s game. Teams like the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and Minnesota Timberwolves might be willing to risk giving up a first-rounder if they believe the nine-time All-Star could be the missing piece to a championship team in the second half. If Dallas can get draft assets and move his contract, they should.
Despite Davis being an elite player on both sides of the court when he is healthy, he will be nearly impossible to move. He is only getting older, and his injury woes continue to worsen each year. As good as he can be, he is set to make $58 million next season, then has a $62 million player option he is sure to exercise in 2027-28. Barring a stunning string of health the rest of the year, Davis is going nowhere.
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After earning his journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos served as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sucka ... More about Jason Burgos