Mavericks' perfect Kyrie Irving trade replacement is already staring them in the face

The Dallas Mavericks blowing up their roster may sound like a pipe dream to some fans and like a near reality for others. There's no doubt that the Mavericks are well on their way to building around Cooper Flagg in the coming future; it's just a question of when rather than if now, after the early-season firing of Nico Harrison.

There have been countless fans on social media who have speculated and even concocted their own trades that give the Mavericks a perfect vision and a future to focus on; however, trading Kyrie Irving may be harder than some fans realize, given his veteran presence off the court. It may be a tough pill to swallow for the Mavericks front office, but given everything off the court, Irving still may not be the player he was before tearing his ACL in early March, and thankfully, the Mavericks have the perfect replacement.

It's been said before, and it was only confirmed this summer, but Brandon Williams plays exactly like Irving, and it's not just due to their similar athletic characteristics, but the fact that Irving has personally taken Williams under his wing and passed along his talents to the 25-year-old guard. Williams not only clearly fits a younger timeline, but after getting the starting nod over the last three games, there has been a clear push to make Williams one of the future guard staples in Dallas.

Mavericks found their perfect Irving replacement as trade talks heat up

Williams has been many fans' most impressive Maverick this season, which is why him replacing Irving one day makes total sense. Not only was Williams set to take on a bigger role with the Mavericks despite a search for an offensive identity early in the season, but so far in the limited number of games he has suited up for, he has delivered.

Replacing Irving sounds like a tall task, but when you play similarly to him on the floor, and that includes the nine-time all-star's bag work and ability to contort his body at the rim to make hard shots look easy, it may be the perfect time for the Mavericks to push all their chips in on a younger roster. There have already been several young players who fit Flagg's timeline who have been some of the most impressive players in Dallas' 3-10 start, but Williams only adds depth and a needed scoring punch alongside a stagnant offensive group.

Again, it may not be wise for the Mavericks to sell on Irving as soon as possible or even sell all of the talent on their roster until it's a fact that this team cannot compete in a loaded Western Conference, but fans who are against the tank cannot deny that there will be a time very soon where the Mavericks push all their chips in on Flagg and the future in Dallas.

It may be a tough thing to accept for many NBA fans, but the move that would officially kickstart the youth movement and new era would be trading Irving away while the Mavericks still have Williams under contract. Trading Anthony Davis continues to look like the clear-cut first move the Mavericks could make soon, but that would essentially mean that the Mavericks are only waiting on Irving's health before making a true decision on whether or not to trade him and get value.

Having Williams, who has impressed by averaging 10.2 points on 44 percent shooting from the field this season, may just make it that much easier for the Mavericks to officially hit the trade button on just about every veteran on the roster.