The Dallas Mavericks may have been misguided, but the plan was clear: When they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, it was to form a dynamic duo of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.
In the end, Kyrie and AD played one game together. One.
Davis got hurt plenty, as usual. And then Irving had his season end last March with a knee injury, and he hasn't played since.
Before Irving could return this season, Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards in a deal reported Wednesday.
Now, Irving's future in Dallas certainly seems in doubt, too.
MORE:Mavericks are Cooper Flagg's team now, no questions asked
What's next for Kyrie Irving?
Irving first has to return to the court. The trade deadline will pass Thursday with him not having played in about 11 months, and no team is going to trade for a player coming off such a serious knee injury, sight unseen.
When Irving gets back, Dallas will have to utilize him in a pretty standard way. They'll have to let Irving ramp up to full speed and then show what he can do.
At that point, Irving will likely turn into a summer trade candidate. Maybe he's someone that moves on draft night.
It is clearly Cooper Flagg's team now. Irving wouldn't be terrible to keep around, but his timeline for contention is nowhere near that of the 19-year old Flagg.
MORE:'Worst shooting form of all time' draws comparisons to Lonzo Ball, Shawn Marion
Kyrie Irving contract
Kyrie Irving is under contract with the Mavericks through 2027-28.
He'll make $39.4 million in 2026-27, and then he has a $42 million player option for 2027-28.
It's manageable enough to potentially pull off a trade in the offseason.
More NBA news: