Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving
Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
The Dallas Mavericks' two best players, Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg, have many similarities. They were both No. 1 picks coming out of Duke, they're phenomenal basketball players, and great people off the court. Mavericks fans are ecstatic to see them play together for the first time next season after Irving missed all of the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL, but the biggest difference between the two players may force Dallas to move on before the trade deadline: their age difference.
Kyrie Irving is not a perfect fit in Dallas anymore
While the Mavericks are excited to see Irving and Flagg play together, it's impossible to ignore the massive age gap between their two star players. Irving is 34 years old while Flagg is 19. This gap provides Irving with the natural opportunity to mentor Flagg, and he definitely did this last season while he was sidelined, but Irving no longer lines up with the team's timeline.
The Mavericks are building for the future, and Irving is a bit past his prime and coming off an ACL tear. He can still be a star, as shown by his performance during his first few seasons in Dallas, but his career will nearly be over when Flagg hits his prime.
The Mavericks are going younger
Veteran presence is important for teams attempting to contend for championships, but Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz need to be targeting players who are closer in age to Flagg than Irving. They've seemingly made this a focus this offseason, as they've signed and traded for multiple young players. Dallas now only has two players over the age of 30 and 10 of their players are 23 years old or younger.
The Mavs have a new identity as they enter the Dusty May era, and this identity could ultimately spark an Irving trade. Dallas is patiently building a future contender, and they could get serious value from a playoff team if they move on from Kyrie.
Teams are still keeping an eye on Irving
Teams around the NBA have been showing interest in Dallas' star point guard this summer, and while the Mavericks have rebuffed this interest so far, this doesn't mean that their stance won't change later this season.
NBA insider Marc Stein wrote about Irving's situation in Dallas in a Substack on Monday evening, and teams' interest in the nine-time All-Star isn't going away just because the Mavericks don't want to trade him right now.
"Rival teams, however, continue to wonder aloud about how firmly Dallas will stick to that stance once the season begins and the next in-season trade deadline on Feb. 11 gradually approaches," Stein wrote. "The primary factor fueling that curiosity, of course, is that fact that Irving is 34 and Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg is 19. Not your average age gap between the team's two best players."
Teams are still curious about Irving's future in Dallas, and this uncertainty about what they'll do with Irving is mostly coming from his 15-year age gap with Flagg.
Why a Kyrie Irving trade would make sense for Dallas
The Mavericks don't have the talent to compete for an NBA championship as things currently stand, and the best way to get closer to their goal of winning a championship with Flagg as their superstar could be to trade Irving. They could potentially net a solid young player, expiring contracts, and draft capital at the trade deadline if Irving returns to superstar form, and such a move would put them in a great spot for the future.
Dallas has been eager to see Irving take the court with Flagg, but they must decide if they think they can win a title together in the near future. If not, the smartest move may be to trade Irving while he still has high trade value.
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