NBA insider says quiet part out loud about Kyrie Irving dilemma Mavericks can't avoid

The Dallas Mavericks just traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards last week, but he may not be the only Mavericks superstar on the move over the next few months. Even though the NBA trade deadline passed last week, trade conversations are bound to come up this offseason. And Kyrie Irving will draw interest around the league.

Dallas made Irving untouchable at this year's trade deadline, but that could change over the summer. The Mavericks have entered full rebuild mode around Cooper Flagg, and if a team offers something that they can't refuse for Irving, they at least have to listen.

NBA insider Marc Stein recently speculated about Irving and his future in Dallas, and he thinks that the external trade interest is on the way later this year.

Teams are going to want to trade for Kyrie Irving this offseason

"The Mavs' phone will ring for Kyrie Irving in May and June whether they want to trade him or not," Stein said. "Someone in the playoffs is going to fall short of what they were hoping for and say, 'You know what? Let's see if the Mavs are willing to trade Kyrie now that they've moved off Anthony Davis.'"

Stein believes that teams around the league will show interest in Irving whether the Mavericks are shopping him or not, and Dallas will have a tough choice to make.

On one hand, they haven't seen Irving and Flagg play together yet. Seeing this duo play together is part of the organization's long-term vision as they enter this new era, and they have the potential to be incredible together. Flagg has yet to play alongside another elite creator in his NBA career, and Irving could be the secret ingredient that Flagg needs to reach the next level.

On the other hand, the Mavericks are on Flagg's timeline now. He's 19 years old and is still years away from his prime. This may be Dallas' best chance to maximize Irving's trade value, especially if he doesn't return the same following his lengthy absence.

Irving has been sidelined for nearly a year after tearing his ACL last March, and there's no guarantee that he returns to being the dominant point guard that he once was. All signs are pointing to Irving returning to peak form again, as he has taken his recovery extremely seriously, but there are no guarantees.

There's still a chance that he returns later this season, giving him a chance to show the Mavericks and other teams around the NBA that he is still one of the league's best veteran guards. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting over 40 percent from downtown, and he still has lots of great basketball left in the tank.

It'll all come down to how much Dallas values Irving and his future, but the calls will inevitably come.

He'll have two years remaining on his contract after this season, making less than $41 million annually, and this is great value if he can return to being the player that he was before the ACL tear. Teams are always looking to make moves to improve their odds of making an NBA Finals run, and with Irving having playoff pedigree, great leadership skills, and a spectacular offensive game, he could be the difference between an early playoff exit and a championship.