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Among the speculation of a potential Kyrie Irving departure from the Dallas Mavericks due to conflicting timelines with star Cooper Flagg, general manager Masai Ujiri has cleared the air on the situation.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Ujiri has expressed that the Mavericks are planning to keep the veteran guard, despite doubt around the league.
"Ujiri has made it clear that the franchise is committed to keeping Irving with Flagg, who is 15 years younger than the star point guard," Windhorst wrote.
"Rival front offices question whether Dallas can stick to that plan with roster holes elsewhere and the two stars on different career timelines."
Kyrie Irving makes comeback in China
Irving missed the entire last season due to an ACL injury he suffered in the beginning of 2025. Now, he has made his comeback to court during Dallas' trip to China, where they faced the Houston Rockets as part of the preseason.
Kyrie missed the first game, which was won by the Rockets, but made his return in the second match to lead the Mavs to a victory.
He played 22 minutes, scoring a team-high 17 points, on 6-of-13 shooting, grabbed 2 rebounds and dished out three assists.
While it is too early to judge after one preseason game, with this performance, Irving showed that he is capable to return near or even fully to his previous form even at 34 years old.