The Kyrie Irving-Cooper Flagg partnership is a ‘fun puzzle’ for the new-look Mavs
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Tim MacMahonOct 28, 2026, 07:00 AM ET
- Joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009
- Covers the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks
- Appears regularly on ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM
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KYRIE IRVING HADN’T played a game for the Dallas Mavericks in more than 18 months when he organized an informal minicamp for the team in Southern California in early September, including new head coach Dusty May and his staff.
Irving hosted basketball workouts along with beach yoga, but his priority for the trip was continuing to build camaraderie with his younger teammates, including 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, the player Irving calls his “19-year-old co-pilot.”
“When you’ve done what he’s done,” May said, “the younger guys especially hang on every word.”
Irving has served as a leader and a valued voice in the Mavs’ locker room since he arrived in Dallas via trade in February 2023. Despite having played just 130 games in a Mavs uniform, he is now the team’s longest-serving player after Dwight Powell‘s 12-year tenure ended when the veteran center was waived this preseason.
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Irving’s time in Dallas has “been a little bit chaotic at times,” as he puts it, but he has been a calm, steadying presence throughout the franchise’s roller-coaster ride of the past few years.
He was the vocal leader and co-star of the Mavs’ 2024 Finals team alongside Luka Doncic, and he was as shocked as anyone when former Dallas general manager Nico Harrison traded the perennial MVP candidate before the next trade deadline. Irving stood out as a voice of reason and empathy during the franchise’s extended public relations catastrophe in the midst of fan outrage following the trade, further endearing himself to the Mavs’ fanbase.
He has remained enthusiastic about being in Dallas as the organization completely overhauled the front office, the coaching staff and much of the roster. That includes moving on from all the major figures involved in the Doncic deal — Harrison was fired last November — and big man Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the return but who suited up for only 29 games (plus two play-in appearances) in a Mavs uniform.
Now Irving, 34, who was once brought in to be Doncic’s co-star, finds himself as the veteran presence on a franchise building around Flagg — and facing questions about when he, like Doncic and Davis before him, might end up on the road out of town. The speculation is fueled primarily by the 15-year age gap between Irving and Flagg, and the franchise’s mission of building a sustainable contender around its teenage prodigy.
For now, the Mavericks’ goal is a simple one: Establish a winning culture with Flagg, and get back into the playoffs for the first time since that 2024 Finals appearance.
“We’re building something. And I’m not sure exactly what that looks like,” Irving said. “I’m just going to turn the page. I’m looking forward to building something new.”
Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images
AFTER BEING HIRED in May, Mavericks president Masai Ujiri emphasized that he had a “huge curiosity” about the potential of the Flagg and Irving pairing, which was on hold last season as Irving recovered from a torn left ACL he suffered in March 2025. Ujiri has seen firsthand how the connection between a point guard and a wing can lead to success, having won the NBA title in 2019 with a Toronto Raptors team led by Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard.
From a pure basketball perspective, Irving and Flagg are a phenomenal fit. Irving is an elite off-dribble creator who is also comfortable as a catch-and-shoot threat playing off the ball. And he has a wealth of experience playing alongside other stars, from LeBron James to Kevin Durant to Doncic.
“He just makes it easy to play with him,” Flagg said. “Obviously, he’s one of the greats of our game. He’s an incredible talent, but I think that combined with his personality makes it easy to fit next to and play with him.”
Flagg frequently worked with Irving, a fellow first overall pick out of Duke, after practices during his rookie campaign while Irving was rehabbing. They would take turns playing one-on-one against assistant coaches, who rotated in on defense. Irving would display a move out of his deep bag of tricks, then Flagg would try to replicate it.
Their rapport took the next step this summer, when Flagg finally got to play alongside Irving in pickup runs, whetting the appetite for real game action.
Flagg averaged 21.0 points and 4.5 assists per game as a rookie despite poor spacing and playing out of position as a point guard to open the season. His production and efficiency dramatically improved when he played alongside a traditional point guard.
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The point guards Flagg played with last season were D’Angelo Russell (now playing for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Shanghai Sharks) and
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