There's obvious excitement around the two former No. 1 overall picks from Duke finally joining forces on the court.
DALLAS - There will be a lot of talk of "timelines" around the Dallas Mavericks as the 2026-27 roster takes shape this offseason.
The central figure on the team is now Cooper Flagg, the 19-year-old budding star who looks to build on his Rookie of the Year campaign.
Kyrie Irving, however, will also have a prominent role on the team next year as well. The nine-time All-Star will return from missing the entire season from his knee injury from the year prior.
Irving, 34, doesn't fit the long-term timeline Flagg will headline in Mavs history. The same can be said for the rookie who joins next year's team after Dallas picks inside the top 10 this summer.
Throughout this discussion, there will be rumors and buzz about the Mavericks' potential to trade Irving for young talent, cap flexibility and overall roster depth.
But according to the remarks of the new executive duo, Dallas has no plans to make that transaction.
"Beautiful," general manager Mike Schmitz said about his thoughts on the pairing. "You heard Masai [Ujiri] in his opening presser, right, like that’s something you dream of. Having a magician with the ball like that who can pass, dribble, shoot, and someone with the connective qualities of Coop, that’s a match made in heaven.”
Ujiri, the team's new president and directional leader, gushed over the vision of the future Hall of Famer finally playing with the next face of the franchise.
Much like Irving's previous tandem with former Mavs star Luka Doncic, the wizardry point guard figures to be a strong vocal leader on and off the court. We've already seen that relationship grow between Irving and Flagg as the two have interacted on the bench and at practices this past season.
Whether Irving returns to top form or not, he knows he's on the downward swing of his career. The former No. 1 overall pick from Duke will be looking to impart his wisdom on the next.
And for Flagg, that's a recipe for success.
"Just the feel, the IQ, the versatility, those are all things that we really value," Schmitz said of Flagg's continued development. "His demeanor, his temperament - you can’t speed him up - his IQ, so mature for that age. So, really impressive."
Soon, Mavs fans will begin cherishing the excitement around the future. Still, the team brass is reminding them also to appreciate the present with a new pairing finally debuting next season.
