Rival teams believe the Dallas Mavericks could revisit their stance on trading Kyrie Irving once the regular season begins and the February trade deadline approaches, according to veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein. Stein wrote that Dallas has “consistently swatted away trade interest” in Irving throughout the offseason. Even so, he reported, rival teams “continue to wonder aloud about how firmly Dallas will stick to that stance.”
No team has made a confirmed approach or offer for Irving, and Stein’s reporting describes rival-team speculation rather than active negotiations. Irving, 34, turns 35 in March and remains under contract with Dallas. The Mavericks’ roster is currently built around 19-year-old Cooper Flagg, who is entering his second NBA season.
The math behind any deal would be complicated well before the deadline. Irving’s age and his long-term fit on a young, rebuilding roster are the exact tension points rival executives are reportedly watching, not any indication Dallas is actively shopping him. For that speculation to turn into real trade talk, something would likely have to change on Dallas’s end, whether that is Flagg’s early-season development, the Mavericks’ record, or Irving’s own availability, none of which is currently reported as a factor. For now, the only confirmed fact is Dallas’s public position: Irving is not for sale.