Kyrie Irving draws rivals’ attention, Mavericks have no plans to move him

Plenty of teams would like a chance to trade for Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks have given them little reason to expect one.

Neither Irving nor Dallas has shown a desire to split, and a deal before February’s deadline is not currently expected, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Rival executives view Irving as the player who could most significantly alter the playoff race if he became available. Irving, meanwhile, has made clear that he wants his teammates focused on what the Mavericks are building.

“I think we heard a lot of the noise before the season and some of the predictions,” Irving said Monday. “I let the team know out of my own mouth that these trade rumors, anything that’s going on with me, do not let this infiltrate our locker room. Don’t let this get in the way of what we have building here.”

The early results give Dallas reason to stay with it. The Mavericks entered Friday at 7-5 overall and 7-3 when Irving played, with the veteran averaging 21.6 points, 4.3 assists and 3.2 rebounds.

That follows an entire season lost while recovering from the torn left ACL he suffered in March 2025. His return has given Cooper Flagg an experienced offensive partner, a pairing Masai Ujiri expressed enthusiasm about over the summer.

Irving’s contract will keep his future relevant. He holds a $42 million player option for next season and could enter free agency by declining it.

But the bottom line: The strongest interest in an Irving trade appears to be coming from outside Dallas. The Mavericks have good reason to keep seeing what he and Flagg can do together.