Former Duke Star Kyrie Irving Named Top Trade Target Entering 2026-27

Former Duke Blue Devils star guard Kyrie Irving has been subject to all sorts of trade rumors over the last year.

Irving, who is coming off a torn ACL, will enter the 2026-27 NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks. But whether he remains with Dallas throughout the entire year has been one of the bigger questions around the team.

Dallas has been trying to go in a younger direction, while still trying to compete with second-year forward Cooper Flagg. Irving, 34, does offer the Mavericks a good chance to do this, but given his age, contract, and injury history, the team could look to move him.

The Mavericks are scheduled to pay Irving $39.4 million this coming season, and then he has a player option for $42.4 million next year. This is a lot of money that Dallas will be paying the former Duke guard, especially at his age.

But for now, it seems that Irving will remain with the Mavericks. However, the trade rumors aren't going away, even with the new NBA season getting ready to kick off in a few weeks.

NBA analyst Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report listed 10 players who are viewed as trade candidates for the upcoming season. Within the list, Irving was mentioned, again giving thought to a potential trade of the star guard.

Before he went down, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game for the Mavericks. The guard also shot 40.1 percent from beyond the three-point line, playing in 50 games.

Irving was still an effective player for the team before the injury, but he is older now and coming off the ACL tear. It remains to be seen how impactful the veteran will be, and it could take him some time to get going.

Dallas has maintained that they don't want to trade Irving, but if they can get some assets for the future, it could easily take place. The Mavericks may elect to allow Irving to play in the first half of the season, seeing how he looks coming off the injury.

If he were to play well, the price to land his services could be shot up, giving the Mavericks more in a deal. So for now, Irving will try to help the Mavericks win as many games as possible this season, but a trade could be on the horizon.

The former Duke star is one of the more clutch players in NBA history, and any team could use his services.