The Dallas Mavericks have shown no interest in moving Kyrie Irving this offseason, but rival teams are reportedly not convinced that stance will necessarily hold once the 2026-27 season gets underway.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Dallas has consistently rejected trade interest in Irving since mid-June and continues to signal that the nine-time All-Star remains part of its plans.
However, rival executives are already wondering whether the Mavericks could reconsider as the Feb. 11 trade deadline approaches.
The biggest reason for that speculation is the unusual timeline of Dallas' two biggest stars.
Irving is 34 years old, while Cooper Flagg is only 19, creating a 15-year gap between the veteran guard and the player expected to anchor the Mavs' long-term future.
Credit Imagn Images - Scanpix
Irving has not played since March 2025
Any decision on Irving will also depend heavily on how he looks after an extremely long absence.
Irving has not appeared in an NBA game since March 3, 2025, when he tore the ACL in his left knee against the Sacramento Kings. He played just over nine minutes before suffering the injury and finished with seven points.
The injury ultimately kept Irving out for the entire 2025-26 season. Dallas officially announced in February that he would not return that year, allowing him to focus fully on his recovery from ACL reconstruction surgery.
Before the injury, Irving was still performing at an All-Star level. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists during the 2024-25 season.
There has recently been encouraging news regarding his recovery, with Irving reportedly expected to be fully healthy by the end of the offseason.
That makes the opening months of the new season particularly important.
Rival teams will get their first look at Irving after more than a year and a half away from competitive NBA basketball, while Dallas will be able to evaluate how the veteran fits alongside Flagg.
Credit IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect - Scanpix
Another Irving ally leaves Mavericks
Stein also pointed to another development that has attracted attention around the league: the departure of assistant coach Phil Handy, who had become one of Irving's allies within the organization.
ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported that Handy is leaving Dallas after one season to join Nick Nurse's coaching staff with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Handy has a previous relationship with Nurse and was part of his staff when the Toronto Raptors won the 2019 NBA championship. He later worked with LeBron James and the Lakers before joining Dallas in 2025.
His exit does not mean Irving is looking to leave, but Stein described it as another notable factor as rival teams continue monitoring the situation.