Dallas has made its stance clear: Cooper Flagg is now the franchise’s cornerstone. That shift immediately raises a bigger question about what comes next for Kyrie Irving.
Flagg is coming off a spectacular rookie season and will be 20 for most of next season, giving Dallas a young player who already looks ready to carry major responsibility. Irving, by contrast, is 34, recovering from an ACL injury, and facing growing speculation about whether he fits the team’s next phase.
Kyrie Irving’s Expensive Question
Irving is due to make $39,491,282 next season, a figure that complicates any roster decision around him. As www.dukebasketballreport.com notes, Dallas could explore a trade to open up space for a major move or a broader reset.
One possible path would be to move Irving and pursue a star at a higher salary level, such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is expected to make about $58.5 million. Another approach would be to spread Irving’s money across multiple additions like Luke Kennard, Rui Hachimura, or Quentin Grimes.
Dallas Has Multiple Trade Paths
The Mavericks also have two first-round draft picks available, which could be used to strengthen a trade package. That flexibility leaves room for a bigger swing, including possibilities such as Bam Adebayo, Domantas Sabonis, or Darius Garland.
The challenge is that any Irving move would have to work under the salary cap and still leave Dallas with a roster that fits together cleanly. That makes the idea appealing on paper, but difficult in practice.
There is also a riskier path if Dallas wants to chase a high-upside talent with baggage. Ja Morant is described as damaged goods because of his issues with the Grizzlies, but he remains an extraordinary talent and would be hard to guard alongside Flagg.
Memphis would not be able to demand much in a trade for Morant, but the fit in Dallas would still come with obvious risk. If it worked, the pairing could be electric.