Mavericks' true plan to replace Kyrie Irving finally revealed in new rumor

The Dallas Mavericks' 2024-25 season will always be known for the heartbreak that came along with it, as fans were crushed that Luka Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1 for Anthony Davis. Things haven't been the same ever since, as there were "fire Nico" chants at seemingly every spot around town after the trade went down, but the Doncic trade wasn't the only tragedy from the Mavericks' cursed season that followed their third NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.

Kyrie Irving tore his ACL just over a month after the trade went down, ultimately causing their season to crash and burn, and now the Mavericks are looking for his replacement via free agency, the draft, or the trade market.

Irving is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, assuming he opts out of his player option, and while he is widely expected to return to Dallas on a new deal, the Mavs still need to find his replacement until he recovers from his ACL tear. It has been rumored for months that one of Dallas' priorities this summer is adding guard depth, specifically more ball handling and playmaking, and a recent rumor just revealed exactly what they're looking for when searching for their Irving replacement.

Mavs' point guard plan shows how serious they are about next season

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Dallas is "looking to add a capable starter (subscription required) this summer who can later transition into a complementary role once Irving has returned to active duty," and this rumor silences the concern that the Mavericks may not sign a high-level guard to take Irving's minutes. It sounds like Dallas is serious about finding a new starting point guard this offseason, and this is the exact approach they need to have.

The Mavs don't need to go star hunting.

They just need a guard who can play big minutes until Irving returns, but they also need to be fine with taking a backseat role at some point in 2026 once Irving is healthy. This doesn't mean that they'll lose all their minutes, as Dallas' guard depth isn't great to begin with, but it's inevitable that their role will decrease as Irving gets back into the swing of things when he comes back.

They won't have big bucks to offer a potential free agent target, as they'll likely only have veteran minimum contracts to hand out, but the opportunity to be the starting point guard on a contender could be enough to lure a veteran guard to come join the Mavericks. They could sign a one-year prove-it deal with Dallas to show the rest of the NBA how much they're worth, as this is an opportunity not many other teams can offer to potential free agents.

Dallas could pursue someone like Dennis Schroder, Tyus Jones, Tre Jones, or Chris Paul in free agency to be Irving's replacement, and Nico Harrison and company's heads seem to be in the right place. The Mavs are closer to contending than anyone realizes, as they will be in an excellent spot after drafting Cooper Flagg on June 25, and finding another guard will round out their roster smoothly.

It's overwhelmingly clear the Mavericks will hand a player currently not on their team the keys to the offense until Irving returns, and fans can't wait to see who that'll be.