There's been talk about the Dallas Mavericks trading Kyrie Irving, but ESPN's Shams Charania just made it clear the Mavericks shouldn't do that after revealing his latest injury update.
He tore his ACL back in the spring of 2025, and while he could've come back in December or January, the season wasn't going in the Mavericks' direction, and there was no reason to rush his way back. It would've been something to see Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis and Irving on the court together at the same time, but it became clear the Mavs weren't going anywhere.
Charania's report on "The Stephen A. Smith Show" indicates Irving is untouchable.
"From my understanding, he's fully recovered, 100 percent with that ACL tear from a couple of seasons ago. He's fully entrenched in the Mavericks' plans this offseason. Him and Dusty May, they have spoken. Him and Masai Ujiri, the new president, they have spoken. Mike Schmitz, the new general manager, has spoken to Kyrie Irving as well."
Reports say Kyrie Irving is 100 percent ready to go for the 2026-27 season
This is about the best news fans have received about Irving for a long time, and it's clear he's on track to play with Flagg and become a dynamic duo next to him.
It would've been malpractice by Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz if they traded Irving and wouldn't allow Flagg to take the court with him. Sure, Irving is in his mid-30s now, but he's still one of the greatest playmakers this game has ever seen.
There have been rumors out there to test Irving's value, but he made it clear when he approved the May hire, telling people to flood his DMs and congratulate him. May returned that same positive attitude when he said he would rely on Irving to guide him through his first year as an NBA head coach.
This shut down the Irving rumors for good, and it became clear that Irving would not be traded.
And why would the Mavs trade Irving at this point? Aside from the Luka Doncic trade, Irving has seemed happy in Dallas. In years past, he's been the subject of controversy and headlines that pinned blame on Irving.
He's not that player anymore, and he's fully prepared to run it back in 2026-27. He definitely would've helped Flagg's rookie season, but it was almost a blessing in disguise. Flagg took the keys and made the most of it. Maybe if Irving had played, Flagg wouldn't have led the team in points, rebounds, assists and blocks.
It's going to take some time, but if it all falls well, Irving and Flagg on the court show the Mavericks are back.
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