NBA insider's Kyrie Irving prediction would devastate Mavericks fans if it comes true

Kyrie Irving trade speculation has been a popular talking point around the Dallas Mavericks since Masai Ujiri took over as the team's new president, and while Ujiri is excited to see Irving play with Cooper Flagg, NBA insider Jake Fischer doesn't believe Irving is a lock to return next season.

Fischer discussed this point during a Bleacher Report live stream when asked about Irving, and while this is just a prediction, Fischer remains one of the most plugged-in figures in basketball. He works with Marc Stein consistently, and he has a hunch that Mavs fans may never see Kyrie and Coop take the floor together.

"I don’t necessarily believe that Kyrie's gonna be on the Mavericks roster come opening night," Fischer said. "There will be contending teams that make trade calls for Dallas."

A Kyrie Irving trade would crush Mavericks fans' hearts

If Fischer's prediction comes true, and Irving gets traded this offseason, Mavericks fans would be crushed to the core. He has become one of the most popular Mavericks players of the 21st century due to his dazzling ball-handling, silky-smooth shooting, and ability to close games in the fourth quarter. Fans also fell in love with his on-court pairing with Luka Doncic, and this duo obviously never got to reach its full potential.

Irving and Doncic reached the NBA Finals in their first full season together, and Mavericks fans thought they had found their duo of the future. Irving, even in his 30s, proved to be the perfect backcourt partner for Luka. Kyrie's ability to play on and off the ball helped Doncic thrive, and the Mavericks built the perfect team around their star guard duo to succeed.

Unfortunately for Mavericks fans, Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers less than a year after they reached the Finals. This move broke the hearts of Mavericks fans worldwide, and trading another one of their beloved star players less than a year and a half after the Luka trade would add insult to injury.

Drafting Flagg helped relieve some of the pain that came with trading Doncic, but not all of it. Mavericks fans are still grieving the fact that one of the top two players in franchise history was ripped away from them before he even hit his prime, and now, the Mavericks are in danger of losing the one player who helped them get through the sadness that came with this controversial move.

Irving's return is far from guaranteed

Irving was a voice of reason during one of the darkest times in franchise history for Mavericks fans, and MFFLs have gravitated toward him ever since Doncic was moved. He remains the best player on the team who was also on the 2024 NBA Finals roster, but to Fischer's point, he may not even be back.

Teams are obviously going to call Dallas about Irving. He's one of the most skilled point guards of all time, and he has proven that he can win at the highest level time and time again. His time with the Mavericks has been remarkable to say the absolute least, and his leadership on and off the floor is the perfect addition for a team to get over the hump and emerge as real contenders.

The possibility of Irving not being a Maverick come opening night is definitely real, and while moving on from him makes sense if the right package is offered, Mavericks fans' hearts would be torn in two. The fanbase has already gone through enough over the last year and a half, and never getting to see Kyrie play with Flagg would be another gut punch.

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