The Dallas Mavericks are willing to hear offers on three veterans, but Kyrie Irving remains the line they are not ready to cross.
Dallas is trying to reset the roster around Cooper Flagg without turning every veteran into a distressed asset.
That makes this less about a fire sale and more about which contracts can bring back picks, flexibility or cleaner fits.
Dallas Mavericks size up three veteran exits
In his latest reporting, Marc Stein placed Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford at the center of the Mavericks’ trade conversation.
The line that matters: “Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, as we speak, are the veterans that the Mavericks are seen as most open to trading … with Thompson drawing particular notice now that he’s entering the final season of his current contract valued at $17.5 million in 2026-27.”
Thompson is a 36-year-old guard and wing who averaged 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 69 games for Dallas. His $17.46 million expiring salary for 2026-27 is easy to understand for teams needing shooting, with Golden State, Houston, and the Los Angeles Lakers all sensible potential fits if Dallas wants shorter money or draft value.
Gafford is a 27-year-old center who averaged 9.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in 55 games. His current $14.39 million number is followed by a three-year, $54.38 million extension, making Boston, Atlanta, and Indiana logical frontcourt suitors if they want rim protection.
Washington is a 27-year-old power forward who averaged 14.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 56 games while shooting 32.5 percent from three. His four-year extension starts at nearly $19.8 million in 2026-27 and runs through 2029-30, so Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, or Miami would need to view him as a real two-way playoff piece.
Dallas Mavericks will wait on the Kyrie Irving trade decision
The Irving situation needs more caution because the smoke is real, but Dallas’ stance is still firm. Rival teams have called, Detroit and Minnesota have been linked, and the Rockets have not been positioned as an active suitor.
Masai Ujiri has already pointed to the reason for patience. He wants to see Irving next to Flagg before the Mavericks make a defining call on a 34-year-old guard returning from ACL surgery.
Irving also carries a $39.49 million salary in 2026-27 and a $42.42 million player option for 2027-28, so any serious trade later would be a franchise-shaping decision. Waiting until he plays with Flagg is not passive; it is evidence gathering.
That leaves Thompson, Washington, and Gafford as the cleaner trade names today. Irving is still the bigger headline, but Dallas appears determined to learn what he can be with Flagg before treating him like the next veteran out.
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