Dallas invests in a Cooper Flagg-motivated future by sending three players away in exchange for youth and draft capital.
We've heard rumors that the Miami Heat are potentially interested in trading for the Dallas Mavericks' point guard, who, despite the Mavs' persistence at the moment, might not align with the team's future-forward focus on building around Cooper Flagg.
Another Eastern Conference contender could be intrigued as well, seeing Irving as a veteran playmaker with enough experience to guide a young and promising roster deep into the playoffs.
Bleacher Report spends its offseason hypothesizing a trade involving the Detroit Pistons and Golden State Warriors, where Irving and Mavs forward Naji Marshall land in the Motor City to join Cade Cunningham on last year's No. 1 seed in the East.
Here are the full details of the blockbuster from Zach Buckley:
DET receives: Kyrie Irving and Naji Marshall
GSW receives: P.J. Washington, Taurean Prince*, 2027 second-round pick (from MIL, via DET) and 2028 second-round pick (from CHO or LAC, via DET)
DAL receives: Ron Holland II, Brandin Podziemski, Daniss Jenkins, Moses Moody, Duncan Robinson and 2028 first-round pick (via DET)
*Eligible to be aggregated in a trade after Sept. 8
The move nets Detroit a proven co-contributor next to perennial All-Star and potential MVP candidate Cunningham to go with strong complementary pieces Marshall, Amen Thompson and Jalen Duren (as long as the big man is retained this fall).
Beyond his age, Irving's return after missing the entire 2025-26 season to recover from his torn ACL may be a centerpiece of this idea for a trade, but the 34-year-old is expected to be ready to go for training camp next month.
Mavs forward P.J. Washington heads to the Warriors in a move that matches salaries with Golden State, which offloads role players Podziemski and Moody. The Warriors are adament about stretching Stephen Curry's career in the Bay, and Washington would be an on-court upgrade here that helps Golden State's chances.
Lastly, the Mavericks take up the idea of surrounding Flagg with as much youth as possible, with Holland, Podziemski, Jenkins and Moody having an average age of 23 years collectively. Robinson adds elite 3-point shooting, an area where Dallas struggled with consistency last season.
Fun note: Holland (Duncanville HS) and Jenkins (Hillcrest HS) are Dallas natives.
The Mavericks would also receive a first-round pick from the Pistons, which would add to their 2028 haul that currently just includes a first-round pick swap with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Each of these picks is likely to be low in the first round, but they nonetheless give the Mavs a chance to draft two quality prospects, as they did this offseason.
Marshall and Washington are on recently signed contract extensions with the Mavericks and are just now entering the prime years of their careers. While still valuable, like Irving, this type of move would be a clear signal that new Dallas boss Masai Ujiri is focused less on immediate success and more on the team's chances to build a legit contender around Flagg in the years to come.
That philosophy may indeed be in play soon, but the Mavs have already made many moves that make shuffling the roster even more in the weeks leading up to training camp somewhat conflicting.
However, anything of this magnitude could be possible after the team surveys its results from the first month of the season, when trade talks heat up before the deadline.
