One thing is very clear about the Dallas Mavericks in the new season: they have to do better.
The team ended up falling apart toward the end of 2022-23 and didn’t even reach the playoffs, despite the backcourt duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving working in tandem.
One NBA analyst believes that Irving will be on the move if the Mavericks don’t make his season look much better than the last.
Sitting down on “The Mismatch,” Chris Vernon said that Dallas will first “blame” head coach Jason Kidd if the team underwhelms.
“And then it’ll get to the point where they have to move Kyrie,” Vernon added.
Kevin O’Connor brought up a good point: Who would trade for Irving?
“But who’s going to trade for Kyrie? Miami? You think Miami? That would be interesting,” O’Connor said.
“Dallas will blame Jason Kidd first [if they underwhelm] because that’s the easy thing to do. And then it’ll get to the point where they have to move Kyrie” @ChrisVernonShow
“But who’s going to trade for Kyrie? Miami? You think Miami? That would be interesting” @KevinOConnorNBA https://t.co/ygegnDT90g pic.twitter.com/LnvyI1Srdx
— Dru (@dru_star) October 20, 2023
A lot is on the line for the Mavericks in 2023-24 and not just because last season was so disappointing.
There has been speculation of Doncic asking for a trade if his team has another lackluster year.
Irving could be a helpful part of the team and he’s clearly an elite star but he is also one of the few assets that would be worth much on the market.
If the Mavericks want to earn even more talent, from the Heat or any other team, they wouldn’t have many tantalizing options aside from Irving.
The idea of Irving in Miami doesn’t sound too bad because he would definitely fill the role they had in mind for Damian Lillard.
But what would the Mavericks get in return?
Fans are hoping it doesn’t come to this because they believe there is enough talent on the team to make last season a distant memory.
NEXT:
Fans React To Kyrie Irving’s Comments About Leading The Mavericks