Mavericks' controversial Kyrie Irving move may have just saved their future

On Wednesday morning, the Dallas Mavericks made the hard decision to shut down Kyrie Irving for the remainder of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from an ACL tear. Irving was on pace to be medically cleared at some point before the end of the season, but Dallas decided that it would be best if he sits for the rest of the year and prepares for next season.

While Irving not playing another game this season is crushing for fans, this is the exact move that they needed to make for Cooper Flagg's future. Irving sitting for the rest of the year will help Dallas maximize their chances of landing a favorable lottery pick, and the Mavericks are clearly looking to tank for the remainder of the season.

Although controversial, tanking is something that has benefited the Mavericks in the past. It could pay massive dividends once again if they play their cards right to end the season.

Tanking makes perfect sense after Kyrie Irving's shutdown

Dallas tanked during the 2017-18 season, and it helped put them in a position to trade up and draft Luka Doncic. They also tanked at the end of the 2022-23 season, and they were able to trade down and draft Dereck Lively II. The Mavericks aren't afraid to tank when they need to, and Irving not playing another game this season is exactly what they needed.

Irving would've obviously helped them win more games, and winning meaningless games in February, March, and April is the last thing Dallas needs as they officially kick off the Cooper Flagg era. The Mavericks need to find a co-star for Flagg, and the best way to do this is through the 2026 NBA Draft.

This year's draft class is the strongest that we've seen in years, and Dallas is in prime position to secure a top-10 pick. They currently have the seventh-worst record in the NBA, and they're currently just five games in front of the New Orleans Pelicans who are the third-worst team in the league.

Falling that far may be nearly impossible for Dallas, but it would be extremely beneficial. Players like Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, and Caleb Wilson are at the top of the draft class, and adding one of these youngsters alongside Flagg would be game-changing.

Building through the draft is extremely important, and with the Mavs not fully controlling any of their first-round picks until 2031, now is the time to bottom out and find another young star. Opportunities like this don't come around often, and Dallas has to capitalize.

Flagg is already one of the best young players in the NBA, and the Rookie of the Year award is his to lose. He is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.2 percent from the field, and he has all-time great written all over him.

Even without Irving (and Anthony Davis for most of the season before he was traded), Flagg has helped the Mavericks be competitive, and even though their record doesn't reflect it, Dallas isn't a bad team.

The Mavericks have played the most clutch games in the NBA this season (34), and while this hasn't amounted to a ton of clutch wins (just 13), Flagg is getting invaluable experience with the game on the line. Jason Kidd leans on him when things get tough in the fourth quarter, and he is ready to become Dallas' franchise cornerstone.

The Mavericks made it obvious that they believe in Cooper Flagg as the future superstar of the team when they traded away Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards earlier this season, and every move that they make from here on out needs to have him at the front of their minds. Shutting down Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season does exactly that, and him not playing another game this year ensures Dallas is in a good position to tank while also making sure Irving is healthy for next season.