The Dallas Mavericks are slowly edging toward a full-scale rebuild around Cooper Flagg.
In recent weeks, Klay Thompson’s future with the franchise has become a significant talking point. The veteran sharpshooter is widely expected to move on, either before the season or at least by the trade deadline.
Of course, if the Mavericks are serious about getting younger, they’ll also need to find a new home for Kyrie Irving. In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Zach Buckley proposed a trade that would not only add youth to Dallas’ rotation, but also land Irving in a position to potentially contend in the Eastern Conference.
The proposed trade looks like this:
Dallas Mavericks Get: Immanuel Quickley, Ja’Kobe Walter and a 2028 first-round pick (top-five protected)
Toronto Raptors Get: Kyrie Irving
“Like every decision Dallas will make for the foreseeable future, this is all about Cooper Flagg,” Buckley wrote. “…The Mavericks may not be getting a ton here, but the 21-year-old Ja’Kobe Walter could be a long-term keeper. And who knows what a lightly protected 2028 first might become under the new lottery system? Those are, at worst, a couple of intriguing darts to throw.”
Buckley continued.
“Immanuel Quickley, meanwhile, might offer similar on-court benefits to what the Mavericks think Irving will provide Flagg. Quickley isn’t the same caliber ball-handler or scorer, but he does offer similar on-and-off-ball versatility, efficient shooting (career 37.5 percent from three) and sound decision-making (5.9 assists against 1.5 turnovers last season).”
Irving Is Recovering From ACL Tear
Irving missed the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season. In February, the Mavericks announced that he would not be returning at any point during their campaign.
“The Dallas Mavericks announced today that guard Kyrie Irving will not return to play during the 2025-26 NBA season as he continues his recovery from ACL reconstruction surgery performed in 2025,” the NBA reported.
As such, Irving is yet to share the court with Flagg. Therefore, there is likely a section of the Mavericks front office that is keen to see how the duo gel together before making a decision regarding Irving’s future.
However, moving on from the 34-year-old could be what’s best. After all, we don’t know what level Irving will be playing at moving forward, and getting younger around Flagg makes total sense for the future.
Mavericks Must Figure Out Klay Thompson’s Future
According to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, Thompson’s tenure in Dallas is in its final stages.
“Thompson’s future is not with the Mavericks,” Siegel reported. “Since the end of May, the Mavericks have made the former five-time All-Star available in trade talks as he enters the final year of his contract at $17.5 million. To this point, while there are teams with a level of interest in the veteran’s services, no extensive trade talks have been held, sources told ClutchPoints.”
Thompson played in 69 games for Dallas last season. He averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists, shooting 39.3% from the field and 38.3% from deep. He would be better suited coming off the bench for a contending roster during the final phase of his career.
Of course, Dallas should only do business if the return in a Thompson deal makes sense for their future plans. Perhaps trading Irving would give the front office more urgency in finding the veteran sharpshooter a new home.
Proposed Trade Sees Mavericks Flip Kyrie Irving