Mavericks' Kyrie Irving trade stance remains firm despite LeBron James' rumored wish

The Dallas Mavericks have made it clear that they don't want to trade Kyrie Irving, and just because LeBron James wants his next team to trade for Irving doesn't mean that Dallas will be forced into a trade that they don't want to make ahead of a crucial season. James is a free agent for the first time since 2018, and the four-time NBA champion wants to team up with one of his former star teammates from the Los Angeles Lakers or Cleveland Cavaliers next season.

James wants to play with Irving but Dallas doesn't want to trade him

There's buzz that indicates James is waiting to make his free-agency decision, hoping his next team can trade for Anthony Davis or Irving. Still, the person who originally reported this, Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo Sports, also made it clear that the Mavericks intend to keep Irving. This was the case earlier this summer, and if the rumblings that O'Connor is hearing are true, nothing has changed on this front as Dallas approaches the first season of the Dusty May era.

"The Mavericks don't want to trade Irving," O'Connor wrote. "That's per sources, but it's also fairly obvious. New head coach Dusty May recently compared witnessing an Irving workout to 'watching Picasso paint a picture.' There's a genuine excitement in the organization about pairing Irving with Cooper Flagg and this refurbished Dallas roster."

Irving remains a strong fit on the Mavericks

Mavericks fans haven't seen Irving play in a game since he tore his ACL in March of 2025, and if Dallas' stance remains the same, they should get to see him suit up at the start of next season alongside Cooper Flagg, Morez Johnson Jr., and the rest of the team's new core. There have been some significant changes in Dallas this summer, as the Mavericks made multiple trades and have four players from the 2026 NBA Draft.

The roster will look vastly different from the last time Irving took the court, and Dallas wants to hold onto him despite the fact that they're in a mini-rebuild. The Mavs aren't in full win-now mode like they were when Irving was last healthy, but this doesn't change Dallas' opinion on him.

Irving will still be a strong fit on this Mavericks team, as they desperately need more shot creation and playmaking, and he'll make things so much easier on Flagg. Kyrie's return will make a broken offense look whole again, and his impact can't be undermined.

Dallas trading Kyrie Irving seems unlikely

Masai Ujiri has been vocal about wanting to see Irving play alongside Cooper Flagg since taking over as the team's president, and May has been extremely excited to coach Irving as well. May said that he plans to lean on Irving next season during his first year as a head coach in the NBA, and it would be a major shock if the Mavericks were to move on from him before the start of next season.

Dallas owes it to their fans to at least allow them to see what an Irving-Flagg pairing looks like before making any more major trades, and James' rumored plea to get his next team to trade for Irving seems like an afterthought for the time being. O'Connor specifically mentioned "the belief around the league is that LeBron would be more likely to choose the Cavaliers if the front office could replace Harden with Irving."

But, thankfully for Mavericks fans, this premise has "two problems" according to O'Connor.

1. "The Mavericks don't want to trade Irving"
2. "The Cavaliers are happy with Harden."

The Mavericks' belief that Irving belongs in Dallas will likely keep James' next team from acquiring the nine-time All-Star. Unless something changes, Mavericks fans don't have to worry about Irving heading elsewhere.

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