The No. 1 pick leads to the Mavericks changes, No Doncic becomes Irving s trump card, injury is the only variable

As the 2025 NBA Draft approaches, everyone's eyes are shifting to how the Dallas Mavericks will handle their roster, as Cooper Flagg will almost certainly be selected by the Mavericks at the first round. With Flag's addition, the Mavericks have many questions about the lineup that need to be solved.

Irving's future has great questions, because some people question whether Irving really wants to play in a team that is getting younger and younger. Everyone knows that the biggest reason why he was willing to join the Mavericks was because the team still had Luca Doncic at that time, but he has now been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, Mark Stein, a well-known NBA reporter, assured fans on the podcast that Irving would stay and the Mavericks would not try to trade him, but his injury could make things complicated. Stein said: "I haven't heard anyone predicting that Irving won't play for the Mavericks again. I haven't heard of him eventually joining another team, but I can't predict the outcome of this season. The rumor circulated at the time was that the Mavericks wanted to sign a three-year contract with him, so a three-year contract is another $120 million."

Irving, now 33, suffered a torn ACL in the second half of the season, but he is still one of the best NBA playmakers and pitchers, so if the Mavericks want to part ways with him, it's only if something big has to happen.

Stein believes: "The situation has changed significantly in two aspects. On the one hand, Irving is the only elite-level and proven guard at the team. With Doncic no longer here, theoretically his value to the Mavericks will soar. But on the other hand, of course, it is well known that he suffered an ACL torn in early March... Was he back in January or February? I also want to predict how things will develop - I hope I can be so smart."

Because he won the No. 1 pick, the Mavericks have a lot of flexibility in the lineup, which is why the Irving problem arises. However, if you think about this from the perspective of the Mavericks, you will understand that it is meaningless to plan to part ways with him now. Even with Flagg's addition, even if Irving's injury takes some time to recover, it's necessary to observe how these fragments are put together before making a decision.