The Dallas Mavericks introduced their new head coach, Dusty May, formerly of the Michigan Wolverines, and coming off a national championship. During his press conference, he made sure to shut down any concerns that fans once had about his star point guard, Kyrie Irving.
It's obvious this is Cooper Flagg's team now, highlighted by president Masai Ujiri in his own introductory press conference. But does that mean Irving should be traded? The two stars haven't even gotten any real reps together, as Irving spent the whole season recovering from an ACL injury from early 2025.
Not only does May plan to use him heavily, but he also complimented Irving as one of the greatest at his position. (h/t Ron Harrod Jr.)
"Kyrie knows what it takes to win a championship, so as a first-time NBA coach, I'm going to lean on him in a lot of areas...He's one of the greatest point guards to ever play our game. He's a jazz musician, so I can't wait to be around him every day and just help him on his journey."
Mavericks HC Dusty May says he needs Kyrie Irving
It's really that simple.
How can you get rid of one of the best playmakers when he has a chance to play alongside Flagg? Especially as a first-year NBA head coach, Irving is the obvious choice to be the players' coach in timeouts and practices.
Is Irving going to be what he once was after his injury? That remains to be seen. We're hoping he can get back to being the magician he was every night, but recovering from an ACL injury in your 30s is tough. Fortunately, he's still here, and that's a resource that May has to use.
Irving was also one to congratulate May and even told fans to "flood his messages." Jason Kidd is buddies with Irving, so it was fair to think about Irving's feelings about Kidd's firing and May's hiring, but May wants to use him heavily, and that's the only correct solution.
With leadership changing, Irving's status as a Maverick was initially a question mark, but with May and Irving both complementing each other, it's safe to say there's a clear bond here, and there's a high chance Irving isn't going anywhere now.
There's still a long way to go, but with Irving in Dallas, anything is still possible. The Mavericks still need to solve some answers at the point guard position (besides Irving), but this is a great start to figure out who's staying in Big D.
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