How NBA Scout Envisions Kyrie Irving Helping Cooper Flagg on Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks have an incredible young prospect to build around in Cooper Flagg. Because of that, many teams have been keeping an eye on the availability of star guard Kyrie Irving, but the Mavs have held off on all trade talks for the guard, despite him being 15 years older and coming off ACL surgery.

Dallas sees the two stars coexisting seamlessly. Irving is used to playing with other ball-dominant players, having played with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, and Kevin Durant, but it may be an adjustment for Flagg.

However, that adjustment could actually be a positive.

Our very own Blake Silverman of Sports Illustrated had an anonymous NBA scout talk about the pairing of Flagg and Irving, and he thinks Irving being back will be massive.

“Irving returning will be a big help,” the scout said. “For one thing, he takes the best defender off of Flagg. In a lot of cases, if a team has one great perimeter defender, he's going to be on Kyrie. So that helps anybody when that is the situation. And then Kyrie's playmaking, drawing help, maybe Flagg can get some easier buckets off the ball.”

Jan 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This is something we didn't think about when we did our own evaluation of how the two will pair together, but it's a good point.

Flagg was often the Mavericks' only threat to score last year, so the other team's best defender was constantly guarding him.

With Kyrie Irving back, teams will have a tougher time deciding who should be guarding whom.

Take the Houston Rockets, for example. Amen Thompson is one of the best defenders in the league. Are they going to use his athleticism to help guard Irving, or will they use his length to defend Flagg? They did sign Marcus Smart this offseason, but he may not start.

That could allow the other Mavs star to take advantage. Not every team has two elite perimeter defenders in their starting lineups.

Oct 6, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (left) and guard Kyrie Irving (right) watch the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Dickie's Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

How Quickly Can Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg Adjust?

This season will be defined by how quickly Flagg and Irving can adjust to playing with each other. Luckily, both players are pretty selfless.

Flagg's numbers last year are pretty incredible when you consider he was often the only option to score, and there wasn't much shooting around him to give him space to operate.

Irving can take a lot of pressure off Flagg, and he was at his best at Duke when he could play off someone else as a secondary playmaker.

If those two can figure it out quickly, and the players around them can hit open threes, this offense should see a big improvement.

Add us as a preferred source on Google