DALLAS — Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey named Dallas Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving the NBA’s best 34-year-old.
Irving beat Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.
A future Hall of Famer, Irving will play next season after missing all of last season. He was recovering from the left ACL tear he suffered during the 2024-25 season.
“At Kyrie’s age, bouncing back from something like a torn ACL comes with a lot less predictability. A slightly slower first step could have a significant impact on his game. But Kyrie also relies pretty heavily on his high-end offensive skills. The ball-handling and jump shot certainly haven’t abandoned him. And he should be pretty motivated to prove those are still there with a chance to enter free agency next season,” Bailey wrote.
Irving Is A Special Talent
Irving will make $39.5 million next season. The Mavericks acquired the Duke product from the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 season.
The 2011-12 Rookie of the Year, Irving enters next season with career averages of 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the regular season and 23.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in the playoffs with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Nets and Mavericks. The 2016 NBA champion averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists per game during the 2024-25 season before tearing his ACL.
Irving helped the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals in 2024, a series the Celtics won in five games.
In 128 regular-season games with Dallas, Irving is averaging 25.5 points and 5.1 assists per game. The Mavericks are 75-53 when Irving plays.
Mavericks Shut Down Irving Trade Interest
Several contenders are interested in trading for Irving, but the Mavericks have told interested teams they want to keep Irving next to Cooper Flagg, sources told Dallas Sports Journal.
Irving and Flagg have a strong relationship, sources said. Flagg received consistent, valuable mentorship from Irving last season even though Kyrie didn’t play, sources said.
The Mavericks won only 26 games last season, but Flagg had a terrific rookie campaign. The 19-year-old played in 70 games and averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting 46.8% from the field, 29.5% from beyond the arc and 82.7% from the free-throw line.
Flagg recorded 13 double-doubles and won the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award. His best game was against the Orlando Magic on April 3. Flagg put up 51 points in 33 minutes, becoming the first teenager and the youngest player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game.
Dallas Added New Players This Summer
The Mavericks added nine new players this offseason. They acquired Santi Aldama from the Memphis Grizzlies, Zaccharie Risacher from the Atlanta Hawks and Marcus Sasser from the Detroit Pistons; got Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio de Larrea, Tobi Lawal and Vsevolod Ishchenko in the 2026 draft; signed Jett Howard and Tarik Biberovic in free agency.
Dallas also re-signed Moussa Cisse and parted ways with Klay Thompson, who was bought out and quickly signed with the Miami Heat.
