According to league sources and first reported by Grant Afseth of the DallasHoopsJournal.com, the Dallas Mavericks continue to see strong long-term potential in pairing Kyrie Irving with Cooper Flagg as soon as Irving returns from injury.
The trade of Anthony Davis, Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to the Washington Wizards for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, 2 first-round picks and 3 second-rounders on Wednesday, however, was clearly driven by flexibility and the desire to clear long-term salary.
But according to this report, the Mavericks also believe it will help clear the way for a roster more cleanly oriented around Flagg. And they see Irving as a natural complement, rather than a conflicting presence.
As an experienced 14-year veteran point guard, Kyrie Irving would be expected to regain the reins of the Mavericks offense as soon as he returns from injury. The Mavericks will without a doubt breathe a sigh of relief that their table setter will soon be back on the court – some reports say after the All-Star break, but most realistically, we won’t see Irving in a Dallas Mavericks uniform until next season.
But interestingly, as the organization moves to build a roster around Cooper Flagg, they look to have other plans in mind for Kyrie Irving:
“The Mavericks believe Flagg’s comfort handling the ball and making early reads has validated internal projections made before the draft. Some within the organization now view him as the team’s best passer, even as his scoring responsibility continues to grow,” league sources toldDallasHoopsJournal.com.
“Irving is regarded internally as a score-first guard who is at his best when he doesn’t have to expend energy running the offense. Flagg’s ability to initiate offense, dictate pace, and absorb playmaking duties is seen as a way to create those advantages.”
That sentiment was echoed in co-interim general managers Matt Ricardi and Michael Finley’s press conference Thursday.
When Michael Finley was asked how much Kyrie Irving is part of the future vision for the Dallas Mavericks, he was adamant:
“Kyrie has the ultimate respect for Cooper, he loves the kid’s work ethic, he loves the kid’s love for the game, and I think Kyrie is embracing the role of a mentor to Cooper…I think Cooper can learn a lot from Kyrie.”
As Grant Afseth reports:
“Rather than asking Irving to function as a full-time organizer, the Mavericks envision Flagg handling much of the early offense while Irving attacks gaps, punishes rotations, and takes over late in possessions. Sources described the pairing as complementary, with each player amplifying the other’s strengths.”
That sounds a lot like how the Mavs used Irving next to Luka Doncic, which was a great strategy that allowed the team and both players to get the best out of each other, while using their energy more efficiently.
The difference, however, is that Luka Doncic was a legitimate point guard. But playing Irving next to Flagg in this position could be very interesting to follow, because it would allow Irving to rest and use his skills for reading the game and elite finishing ability as efficiently as possible. In turn, Irving could provide leadership and a calm presence next to Flagg as the ball handler, which he has needed at times.
Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg have yet to play a minute together, however. But their chemistry and relationship have had ample time to develop throughout the season, as Irving has been very active in both mentoring and coaching the younger guys, like Brandon Williams and Cooper Flagg here. And that has the potential to make this combination very interesting.
