How the Houston Rockets Can Acquire Kyrie Irving This NBA Offseason

Houston has the opportunity to land its next great point guard from an in-state rival amid reported interest.

Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) acknowledges the fans during the second half of the game against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It's no secret that the Houston Rockets' biggest positional weakness was at point guard. As soon as Fred VanVleet went down with a torn ACL back in September, the Rockets dropped a tier in the league's hierarchy, going from a legitimate NBA Finals contender to a good, but not great rotation.

Houston simply didn't have an answer for the lack of facilitation. VanVleet's injury ignited a bunch of issues throughout the season, including a lack of ball security and three-point shooting. The Rockets finished the regular season 27th in turnover percentage and 25th in three-pointers made per game, and that carried over into their first-round playoff exit for the second straight year.

This offseason, there are so many storylines to watch, but Houston is reportedly monitoring one in-state rival as management and coaching turn over. The Dallas Mavericks are moving into a hard rebuild, and Kyrie Irving could be on his way out via trade.

Irving and VanVleet both sat out the entire 2025-26 season due to an ACL tear, but VanVleet has a $25 million player option this summer. He and Houston could agree to restructure his deal as they did last summer, but the opportunity is there for the Rockets to upgrade at the point guard position.

But how can Houston make it happen? VanVleet could be moved to Dallas if he opts into his deal for 2026-27, which is likely. But even so, the Rockets would send out more money to match Irving's $39.5 million for next season.

This opens up possibilities for Dorian Finney-Smith and/or Clint Capela as assets as well. They didn't live up to expectations in year one with the Rockets, but Houston could attach draft capital so that the package aligns with the Mavericks' timeline.

With new president Masai Ujiri at the helm, Dallas is more likely to move Irving and get younger with Cooper Flagg as the franchise cornerstone. The Mavericks traded Anthony Davis after parting ways with Nico Harrison, and it only makes sense to rebuild even further with the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Trading Irving to Houston could bring back serious draft capital for the rest of the decade. After 2026, the Mavericks don't control any of their first-round picks until 2031, as other teams have swap rights from 2028 to 2030.

Meanwhile, the Rockets have some extremely valuable picks over the next few years, including first-round selections from the Phoenix Suns and Brooklyn Nets (swap rights) in 2027. Any of their seven first-round picks from 2027 to 2032 could incentivize Dallas to trade Irving.