NBA Trade Idea Sends Kyrie Irving From Mavericks to Team in Desperation Mode

The Dallas Mavericks have failed this season. There's no way to sugarcoat it. They expected to contend for a championship, but they've won just 24 games with 8 left to play, and they were officially eliminated from the postseason last week.

Despite the superb play of Cooper Flagg, they have just not had enough playmaking to sustain a high-quality offense. That's mostly due to the absence of Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL last March, and with the current state of the team, there was no reason to rush him back this year.

Dallas looks forward to having him back next season and has made it clear they don't plan to trade him. But what if they did?

Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley proposed a trade sending Irving to the Milwaukee Bucks for the 10th overall pick, Ryan Rollins, Kyle Kuzma, and Bobby Portis.

"For as much as the Mavericks might want to see how Cooper Flagg would look with a healthy Irving, they should be more eager for the opportunity to add potential long-term building blocks," Buckley wrote. "Adding a second top-10 pick in a class as celebrated as this could be enormous, and that's before factoring in what the future might hold for Rollins, a 23-year-old in the thick of the Most Improved Player race."

Mar 1, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) controls the ball as Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) defends during the second half at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

If the Mavericks Trade Kyrie Irving, This Would Be the Deal to Consider

All expectations are for the Dallas Mavericks to run it back with Kyrie Irving next year, thinking he could be the solution to their late-game woes. No team has played in more clutch games this year than the Mavs, and having Irving in those situations would help control late possessions.

However, this would be a pretty good trade. Ryan Rollins has been very good this season, averaging 17.0 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 4.6 RPG while shooting over 40% from three. Adding him, along with a second lottery pick, would be great building blocks for the Mavs.

Kyle Kuzma will be on an expiring contract worth a little more than $20 million, which could be a decent asset to a team looking for salary relief elsewhere. Bobby Portis could add more depth in the frontcourt, or they may be able to send him to a team for more draft capital. Even if Portis is 31 years old, he's still averaging 13.7 PPG while shooting 45.6% from three. That would be valuable for the right team.

Ultimately, it's hard to imagine Irving going anywhere unless he asks out, but he's made it very clear how much he loves Dallas and playing for the Mavericks. It'd be better if he were still playing alongside Luka Doncic, but that's not a reality anymore.

The Milwaukee Bucks are going to be in desperation mode this offseason if they hang on to Giannis Antetokounmpo. They either need to show him that they're serious about winning, or they're going to unload him for as many assets as possible. Pushing the chips in for Kyrie Irving would form a fascinating duo.

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