Kyrie Irving Finds New Purpose in Dallas Alongside Cooper Flagg

Kyrie Irving had not played a game for the Dallas Mavericks in more than 18 months when he organized an informal minicamp in Southern California in early September. The trip included new head coach Dusty May and his staff, with basketball workouts and beach yoga on the schedule. Irving's main goal was to build chemistry with his younger teammates, including 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, whom he calls his "19-year-old co-pilot."

Irving has been a leader in the Dallas locker room since arriving by trade in February 2023. He has played just 130 games in a Mavericks uniform, yet he is now the team's longest-serving player, after Dwight Powell's 12-year run ended when the center was waived in the preseason. Irving describes his time in Dallas as "a little bit chaotic at times," but he has been a calm presence through the franchise's turbulent recent years.

He was the vocal leader and co-star of the 2024 Finals team alongside Luka Doncic, and was as stunned as anyone when then general manager Nico Harrison traded Doncic. Irving was a voice of reason during the fan outrage that followed. Since then, the organization has overhauled its front office, coaching staff and much of its roster. Harrison was fired last November, and Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the Doncic return, played only 29 games plus two play-in appearances for Dallas.

Now Irving, 34, is the veteran on a team built around Flagg, and he faces questions about whether he might eventually be moved too. The 15-year age gap between the two and the franchise's push to build a sustainable contender fuel that talk. Team president Masai Ujiri, hired in May, has said he has a "huge curiosity" about the pairing, which was delayed last season while Irving recovered from a torn left ACL suffered in March 2025.

On the court, the fit looks natural. Irving is an elite off-dribble creator who is also comfortable shooting off the ball. Flagg said, "He just makes it easy to play with him." Flagg averaged 21.0 points and 4.5 assists as a rookie, and his production and efficiency improved when he played beside a traditional point guard. During his rookie year, he often worked with the rehabbing Irving after practices, and they finally played together in pickup runs this summer.

The early results are promising. Houston made trapping Irving its top priority in the season opener, a 128-110 Rockets win in which Flagg scored 32 points. Kevin Durant said afterward, "Kyrie is that dangerous." Irving is on a minutes restriction as a precaution. Even so, he and Flagg combined for 27 points and eight assists in the first half of Friday's win over Indiana, when Dallas built a 35-point lead. Flagg left late in the second quarter with a mild left shoulder sprain after a flagrant foul.

On Monday, Flagg returned and he and Irving combined for 47 points and 17 assists in a road win over Miami. Flagg finished with 29 points, six rebounds, 11 assists, five steals and three blocks, including a block of Andrew Wiggins' potential go-ahead corner 3 in the final minute. Irving said he is there to "alleviate some of that pressure" on Flagg, who is coming off Rookie of the Year honors.

Trade questions persist. Dallas does not control its own first-round pick for the next four years because of deals made under Harrison, and sources around the league expect a strong market for Irving, an eight-time All-Star. His contract includes a $42.4 million player option for next season, which gives him control and could lead Ujiri to push talks into next summer. Irving said he is "in love with this place" and wants no distractions in the locker room, adding that "we need everybody rowing in the same direction." Ujiri was equally clear: "We truly believe in [Irving]."