Kyrie Irving is finally the Mavericks' unquestioned veteran leader

Kyrie Irving recently hosted a player-led minicamp for the Dallas Mavericks in Los Angeles, and while Irving has been a veteran leader for the Mavericks since he joined the team in February of 2023, this is the first season where he's Dallas' unquestioned No. 1 veteran leader on and off the court.

For instance, there were multiple veterans on Dallas' roster when Irving first joined the team in 2023 and 2024, and Luka Doncic was already in his prime at this point, and Doncic was progressing as a team leader in his own right. Fast forward to last season, and Irving should've assumed the mantle as Dallas' No. 1 team leader by default, but he could only fill in this role off the court due to his ACL tear, and players like Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis fulfilled this role more so.

2026-27 is the first season Irving is Dallas' true unquestioned team leader

Sure, Cooper Flagg could end up being Dallas' best player over Irving next season, but Flagg is still only 19 years old and hasn't even made the playoffs yet. He still has leaps and bounds to go in terms of his evolution as a player and a leader.

Barring another freak injury, this is going to be Irving's first opportunity to fully embrace being Dallas' true team leader both on and off the court. Despite fellow veteran center Dwight Powell earning a training camp invite to the Mavericks, he likely won't make the roster, and if he doesn't, Irving will be Dallas' oldest player by a solid margin.

Caleb Martin (30 years old) would be Dallas' only other player beyond their twenties on the roster, and Irving is the only player on Dallas' roster with championship experience. With as much of a youth movement as Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz have conducted this offseason, Dallas desperately needs Irving's tutelage and steadiness that he'll bring to this young roster.

Irving is invaluable to the Mavericks in more ways than one

Dallas has the talent to make a push for a fringe playoff or play-in spot, but without Irving leading both on and off the court, their hopes for such a proposition would diminish significantly. Irving's presence alone should help the Mavericks in clutch and late-game scenarios, not to mention he's one of the best clutch shotmakers of all time.

While some moves Irving may pull off on the court would make one question whether he's already 34 years old, he has miles upon miles of NBA experience, and he's going to be a steadying force for this Mavericks roster in more ways than one. His relationship with Flagg will be especially important, as it will give Flagg the opportunity to work and learn from one of the greatest players of all time as he's in the infancy of his NBA career.

Irving is in rare air in terms of the importance he projects to have for this Mavericks team next season. In a league that feels like it's constantly getting younger, he projects to be one of very few players in the league next season who will matter just as much to his organization on the court as he does off the court, as many veteran leaders at his age are already on the fringes of their careers.

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