It was only a few short years ago that Dallas was considered to be the biggest threat to the OKC Thunder out in the Western Conference. After all, they were the ones who sent Oklahoma City packing back in the 2024 postseason and represented the West in that year's NBA Finals.
Now, two seasons removed, a lot has changed for the Mavericks.
They've gone from a serious title contender to a frequent draft lottery dweller while losing their former franchise cornerstone, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers along the way.
Now, as we approach 2026-27, rumors are circulating that suggest they may be in line to lose yet another star from these aforementioned days of grandeur, as ESPN's Tim MacMahon recently labeled Kyrie Irving as a "prime target for contenders" during these several months leading into February's trade deadline, and expects rival teams to be keeping tabs on his availability.
Mavs, a once formidable foe to Thunder, could field calls for Kyrie Irving
The fact of the matter is, despite having missed all of last season as a result of a torn ACL, Irving is still widely considered to be a win-now type of player who can help a contender in a major way. A nine-time All-Star and established NBA Champion, the 34-year-old is also likely still looking to collect one more ring before his career comes to a close.
The problem here is that Dallas seems far from providing him with an opportunity to accomplish such a task.
Sure, they may have reigning Rookie of the Year phenom Cooper Flagg in tow, and brought aboard storied executive Masai Ujiri this summer to lead the front office, but the Mavericks are still a team that has won just 65 games combined over the last two seasons and haven't reached the playoffs since their 2024 Finals run.
On top of all this, with how competitive the West has become, what with teams like the Thunder, Spurs, Nuggets, and Timberwolves atop the standings, Dallas is facing a steep uphill battle to even solidify so much as a top-eight seed over the coming years.
Right now, the folks at ESPN have them projected to comfortably finish as a bottom-five club in the conference with a record of 32-50.
Already this offseason, Dallas has shown signs of gearing up to commit to one more year of rebuilding after parting ways with four-time champion and five-time All-Star Klay Thompson. MacMahon seems to believe that we could realistically see Irving follow him out the door at some point over these next five months.
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