Kyrie Irving Could Be Dallas' Deadline Chip Even as Mavs Open With Him at Point

Dallas is telling every team that calls the same thing: Kyrie Irving opens the season as the starting point guard, and the Mavericks want to see how the veteran meshes with rookie centerpiece Cooper Flagg. That's the official line. The unofficial read around the league is far less committal.

Rival front offices reportedly expect the Mavs to soften that stance as the Feb. 11 trade deadline creeps closer. The math is hard to ignore: Irving is 34, makes $39.5 million this season with a $42.4 million player option for next year, and he's 14 years older than the 21-and-under core Dallas is trying to build around. He isn't the long-term answer at point guard, and everyone knows it.

The catch is that moving him won't be easy. Dallas will want young players or picks back — assets that match Flagg's timeline — and finding a trade partner willing to absorb a 34-year-old guard on a near-max number at the deadline is a real challenge. So the Mavs keep him for now, run him alongside Flagg, and reassess in February.

Irving Isn't the Only Name in Limbo

The reporting groups Irving with a handful of veterans who aren't going anywhere before opening night but could all be in play by the deadline: Anthony Davis, Myles Turner and Michael Porter Jr. among them. Davis sits at No. 13 overall in our rankings (#5 at his position) after posting 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds and 44.2 fantasy points per game across just 20 games last season (2025-26) — the injury flag that makes him both valuable and volatile.

Keep an eye on Dejounte Murray, too. Teams want to see how he moves coming off a torn Achilles, and if he passes the eye test early, expect calls to New Orleans. Murray averaged 16.7 points, 6.4 assists and 34.8 fantasy points per game in 14 games last season (2025-26) before the injury cut his year short. He's currently unranked in our model — a wait-and-see stash at best.

Miami's Roster Housekeeping

Elsewhere, the Heat are close to signing Nick Richards as a backup big before camp, which would make him their 14th player under contract. Because Klay Thompson signed for less than expected — a $5.6 million salary this season — Miami still has room to fill the 15th spot on a veteran minimum. Former Heat guard Gabe Vincent and wing Keshad Johnson are both in the mix, with Johnson still two-way eligible.

For what it's worth, Thompson barely registers on the fantasy radar in Dallas. He put up 11.7 points and 17.8 fantasy points per game in 69 games last season (2025-26), landing at No. 245 overall in our rankings. He's a deep-league dart throw and nothing more.

The Fantasy Fallout

The clear winner in all this is Cooper Flagg. He's already at No. 34 overall (#13 at his position) coming off a 21-point, 6.7-rebound, 4.5-assist rookie line and 39.8 fantasy points per game in 70 games last season (2025-26), and his last five games trended +3.8 above his average. Every scenario where Irving gets moved funnels more usage and playmaking straight to Flagg. His ceiling only rises.

The loser is Irving's own fantasy stability. A midseason trade would scramble his role, his minutes and his shot volume — exactly what you don't want from a player you're leaning on for consistency. If you can flip him to a contender for a discount in February, so be it.

Bottom line: hold Flagg and treat him as a buy-low anywhere his manager still sees a rookie. Bank on his role expanding, not shrinking. Everyone else in this story — Davis, Murray, Thompson — is a wait-and-see, gated behind health or a trade that may not come until the deadline horn.