Mark Cuban believes the Mavericks should handle Kyrie Irving’s future with one simple starting point: ask him what he wants.
That matters because Irving’s name has surfaced in offseason trade discussions while Dallas reshapes its front office around Masai Ujiri and Mike Schmitz.
Cuban helped bring Irving to Dallas in 2023, but his voice no longer carries the same power under the Adelson-Dumont ownership group.
Kyrie Irving deserves Mavericks respect before trade noise
Cuban’s view is rooted in what Irving has already done for the franchise, not just what Dallas might extract from him in a trade, discussing the matter on the ‘House of Haymaker’ podcast.
“The first thing you do is talk to Kyrie. You do whatever Kyrie wants, because that’s what Kyrie has earned. He’s not just some guy. He got us to the Finals, not alone obviously, but he’s a Hall of Fame superstar who plays his heart out every minute of every game. Just one of the best humans that you can meet. You ask Kyrie, ‘What do you wanna do?’ And that’s what you do.”
The context is uncomfortable. Jake Fischer has reported skepticism that Irving will be on the Mavericks roster by opening night, while CBS Sports and other outlets have explored possible landing spots.
Minnesota has been linked as a theoretical fit because Anthony Edwards needs another creator, though Fischer has pushed back on the Timberwolves as the most likely destination.
Irving’s Dallas resume still matters. He averaged 27.0 points after the 2023 trade, 25.6 points in 2023-24, helped Dallas reach the 2024 NBA Finals, and averaged 24.7 points before his ACL injury in 2024-25.
Mavericks face three Kyrie Irving paths around Cooper Flagg
The cleanest path is keeping Irving, letting him return healthy, and using his shot creation to help Cooper Flagg push Dallas back toward the playoffs.
The second path is the Cuban route, which means asking Irving for a preferred win-now destination and building a deal around mutual respect. That could protect Dallas’ reputation with stars while still bringing back useful assets.
The third path is colder. Ujiri and Schmitz could disregard Irving’s preference, chase the maximum return, and treat him as a premium veteran trade chip.
That might be defensible on paper, but it would carry a cost. Irving joined Dallas under Cuban, gave the team a Finals run, and has enough stature that the Mavericks should think carefully before making him feel like an asset first.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
