Kyrie Irving is reportedly very comfortable playing alongside Cooper Flagg in Dallas, making a trade before the NBA deadline increasingly unlikely, according to Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast.
MacMahon said Irving was “very, very happy and comfortable” with his situation after speaking with the guard. He pointed to Flagg’s ability to handle the ball and create offense as a factor that reduces the pressure on Irving.
“Cooper being this good and this comfortable, like bringing the ball up the floor […] takes a lot of pressure off him and it takes a lot of strain off him,” MacMahon said.
The ESPN reporter also questioned whether Dallas would be willing to move Irving if the Mavericks remain in contention for a play-in or playoff spot.
“The more I see the team, the more I’m around the team, the more I think it’s going to be awfully hard to trade him,” MacMahon said. He added that Irving’s importance to the locker room and his on-court partnership with Flagg make a departure difficult.
MacMahon described the pairing as a “phenomenal fit” from a basketball perspective.
Irving had previously been identified as a potential major trade target. Chris Mannix reported that the 34-year-old guard could attract significant interest, with Detroit among the teams expected to pursue him.
However, Dallas has a strong offensive reason to retain the partnership. Flagg is averaging 26.8 points, 6.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds through five games, while Irving has posted 21.4 points, 4.8 assists and 3.4 rebounds in five appearances.
Irving is shooting 52.7% from the field and 39% from three-point range after missing the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from an ACL injury. His return gives Dallas another established scoring option alongside the rookie.
Irving is in the second season of a three-year, $118.5 million contract that includes a player option for the final year. Any trade would also have to account for his contract and recent return from injury.
