At last, Kyrie Irving, a top NBA trade target and a player who is rumored to be on the Miami Heat’s radar, has made his feelings clear amid swirling rumors and speculation.
Irving, 34, is set to make his highly-anticipated return from injury next month, and the Dallas Mavericks are excited to see their nine-time All-Star back in action and next to reigning Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
Irving has been a favorite in NBA trade rumors all offseason. The idea many fans and analysts have shared is that Irving is an aging star on a Dallas team that is still building for the future, and he should ask to be sent to a team that is in a position to compete for a championship. While Mavs fans would certainly beg to differ, the belief around the league is that Irving and the Mavs will get together ahead of the midseason trade deadline and decide whether it is best to part ways. That has sparked excitement among opposing fanbases, especially in Miami, that Irving could be on the move soon.
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Irving, who missed the 2025-26 season with a torn ACL, was in attendance for Mavs media day this week. As expected, the former All-Star was asked about his future in Dallas.
“I mean, I feel like I’m gonna be asked that question a few times throughout the year,” Irving matter-of-factly. I wish a lot of that was under my control, but I think it’s a collaborative effort here. … There is a disparity in age, everyone likes to make a big deal out of it, everyone on social media likes to talk about it, it’s actively part of every conversation … I’m never gonna shy away from that, either. I think my focus is just continuing to develop, continuing to put my best foot forward with these guys. When we are out there on the floor, just have fun. When we say have fun, it means compete at the highest level. We’re trying to win. Nobody here is just trying to throw the season away and say, hey, we have no expectations.”
Yes, he didn’t say trade me to Miami, or Houston, or Toronto, or any other speculated landing spot. No, that does not exactly mean none of those franchises can’t acquire Irving in just a matter of months. But Irving, who still has two years plus a player-option for the 2028-29 season remaining on his contract, can stay in Dallas until 2029. Another truth: very few expect Irving to play out the remainder of his deal in Dallas.
Irving Could Control His Own Destiny
With all that has been said about Irving’s potential exit from Dallas, one of the more revealing points was Irving’s relationship with the Mavs front office. If Irving and the Mavs head their separate ways this season, it won’t be because of tension from either side.
“It’s not because the Mavericks don’t love Kyrie. They do. It’s not because Kyrie doesn’t love Dallas and hasn’t enjoyed his experience there, by and large he has,” ESPN’s Tim McMahon said when discussing the potential of an Irving trade. “But they’re building around a 19-year-old prodigy in Cooper Flagg, so could there come a time when it makes sense for both sides to, you know, find a contender for Kyrie to go to? These are the kind of things that people around the league will be monitoring leading up to the trade deadline.”
According to NBA journalist Marc Stein, teams “continue to wonder aloud” about what the future holds for Irving. Whether the Heat, or another team, seriously pursues Irving around the trade deadline remains to be seen.
But what is for certain is that Heat fans will continue to call for their team to go all-in to surround their shiny-new two-time MVP with a superstar guard.
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