The Dallas Mavericks’ season went from bad to worse in the blink of an eye. At 5-13, they currently hold 14th place in an extremely competitive Western Conference. Anthony Davis getting hurt didn’t help, nor does Kyrie Irving still being out from his torn ACL. What’s worse is that rookie Cooper Flagg is being asked to do a lot, and he’s just not at that level yet.
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And since the season has become an immediate disaster, it has the organization and its fanbase, wondering if a full on tank should happen. Some rumors are even going around that since Flagg is the future of the franchise, players like Irving are potential trade assets to help build around their No. 1 pick.
This was the basis of conversation for Tim McMahon on the latest edition of his Howdy Partners podcast. The ESPN analyst gave an update on the Mavericks plans with Irving, and what they are viewing this 2025-2026 campaign as. And if you are a fan of Kyrie in Dallas, you need not worry.
“The Mavericks do not want to trade [Kyrie Irving],” stated McMahon to begin. “I think the ideal situation with Kyrie, obviously he’s working to get healthy. You get with him and have a conversation about the benefits for everybody of him just taking this year to focus on his body and rest.”
Lower extremity injuries, especially one as vital as an ACL tear, severely impacts a player’s performance. They are never the same after as they were before. So other than a desire to get back on the court, why should Kyrie force himself back for a team that is just not competitive?
“The other reason is…this is the one year the Mavericks can benefit from being bad,” added McMahon. “That’s it. They don’t have control of their own pick in 27, 28, 29, and 30. They have this pick that is their own.”
The analyst then revealed how Dallas is hoping to improve drastically next season so Flagg doesn’t get discouraged. “They want to be competitive next year. They don’t want Cooper Flagg dealing with another miserable season. They want to put him in positions where he gets to be competitive and he gets to play meaningful games in March and April.”
One thing that keeping Irving does is take some of the pressures off of Flagg. This way, he doesn’t have to carry too much weight as the franchise’s face just yet. McMahon agreed, and broke down exactly how beneficial Kyrie has been to Dallas since he came there in 2023.
“Kyrie Irving has been a phenomenal leader really since he stepped foot in Dallas. He’s been a huge positive in terms of the culture and the vibe. And I think it’s putting a lot on Cooper Flagg. If Kyrie is here, Kyrie can be the leader. Kyrie can serve a lot in that spokesman role. He can help you be competitive.”
So as rough as this season has been, the Mavericks aren’t exactly lost at sea. They know the roster is banged up, they know Flagg isn’t ready to carry a franchise on his own, and they know this is the one year where being bad might actually pay off.
Keeping Kyrie around, both as a leader and as a long-term piece, gives them stability while they ride out the storm and gear up for a real rebound next year. If everything goes the way the front office hopes, this painful stretch will end up being nothing more than the setup for a much stronger, far more competitive Dallas team in 2026.
