Mavericks Put Cooper Flagg at the Center, and Kyrie Irving Becomes the Offseason Variable

Dallas’s offseason conversation is starting to revolve around Cooper Flagg in a way it did not for much of last season, and that shift has created a new question mark around Kyrie Irving. In a June 7 analysis, Yahoo Sports argued that Flagg’s emergence as the team’s primary building block could make Irving “expendable” as the NBA Draft approaches. The framing is less about a reported deal and more about roster math, timeline alignment, and what it means to build around a specific player as he enters his early prime.

That focus is at least directionally consistent with how the Mavericks’ own front-office narrative has been landing. Flagg, the Mavericks’ first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, arrived in Dallas already cast as a franchise centerpiece. His 2025-26 rookie season then gave that projection statistical support, with Flagg winning Rookie of the Year and putting together a line of 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.2 steals while he was still 19 years old for most of the season.

Irving, meanwhile, is the kind of veteran that can either become the perfect complement or become the piece that blocks a cleaner rebuild, depending on health, role, and salary. Irving missed significant time after sustaining an ACL tear in March, according to ESPN’s reporting, and his contract profile gives the Mavericks a reason to think in terms of cap space and roster construction rather than sentimental fit. For 2026-27, Irving’s cap number is listed at $39,491,282. The key point for Dallas is that Flagg’s timeline is young and durable in theory, while Irving’s timeline comes with a recovery clock and fewer years left in the “asset growth” window.

Dallas also has draft resources to act on that decision, which is why Irving’s name keeps surfacing in these discussions. The NBA’s own 2026 draft team profile lists Dallas with selections in the first round at picks 9, 30, and 48. In that same preview, NBA writers describe Flagg as the foundation, while noting that much of the surrounding cast is older, including Kyrie Irving, who “should be ready to return at the start of next season.” With Dallas coming off a 26-56 season that did not include a playoff berth, the draft becomes a practical lever for getting the roster from “developmental” to “contending,” even if the plan still evolves.

If the Mavericks do keep Irving, the move is basically a commitment to a dual timeline: Flagg as the long-term engine, Irving as a short-term creator who can accelerate the team’s spacing and decision-making on offense. If they consider moving Irving, it would likely be because Dallas believes the backcourt can be rebuilt more efficiently around Flagg with cheaper shooting and/or size, while also creating more flexibility to fill out a rotation that can survive the physical grind of the playoffs. Either way, the draft itself is a deadline for how well Dallas can balance near-term competitiveness with a core that remains on the same page five years from now.

All of this is likely to clarify quickly, because the 2026 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 23-24. What to watch next is simple: whether Irving’s return timeline holds, how Dallas positions Flagg in its half-court and transition roles early in camp, and whether the Mavericks treat the draft as a supplement to Irving’s leadership or as the first step in a broader repositioning. Until there is a confirmed transaction, the Irving question remains an offseason variable rather than a finalized conclusion.