3 Mavericks Playing Their Final Season in Dallas

3. Kyrie Irving

I know, I know. It seems pretty insane to imagine the Mavericks moving on from Kyrie Irving one year after acquiring him. However, this is the NBA, and star players are constantly moving regardless of how recently they've signed a new contract or been traded.

With that being said, a trade might not be as unrealistic as some people think. For starters, it isn't as if the Irving-Doncic pairing has gone as planned. Since acquiring the eight-time All-Star from Brooklyn, the Mavericks have played a total of 84 regular-season games and their duo has only played together in 44 of them — just 52.4% of contests. For reference, Dallas is only 23-21 in those games.

Secondly, Irving's name was involved in rumors leading up to the trade deadline. It seems silly looking back, but it was a real possibility given the Mavs' slow start to the campaign. While a trade never materialized, that hasn't stopped The Athletic's Jovan Buha from reporting that the Los Angeles Lakers will allegedly try to pull off a trade for Irving this summer.

So, why would the Mavericks want to trade Irving? Well, moving him to the Lakers (or any team) would help them stock up on draft picks. As it stands, Dallas only possesses six draft picks from now through 2030, and trading the 31-year-old would certainly replenish the cupboards.

We've also seen that star players tend to get what they want in the NBA. If Irving isn't happy in Dallas, the last thing we need is a situation similar to what the Philadelphia 76ers went through with James Harden in 2023. He also has a $42.9 million player option for the 2025-26 season and if he isn't willing to opt in, it might be best for Dallas to get some kind of return for him this offseason.

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