DHJ Quick Take
- The Proposal: Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley suggests a blockbuster deal sending Kyrie Irving from the Dallas Mavericks to the Milwaukee Bucks.
- The Package: In exchange for Irving, the Mavericks would receive Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis, Ryan Rollins and the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
- The Impact: The trade would pair Irving with Giannis Antetokounmpo following Irving’s recovery from an ACL tear, while providing Dallas with depth and a high-value draft asset.
A blockbuster offseason NBA trade proposal sending Kyrie Irving from the Dallas Mavericks to the Milwaukee Bucks to play with Giannis Antetokounmpo has emerged.
In a story called “5 Trades That Would Blow Up Our Latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft,” Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report proposed that the Mavericks trade Irving to the Bucks for Ryan Rollins, Kyle Kuzma, Bobby Portis and the 10th overall pick in the 2026 draft.
Irving will play next season after not suiting up this campaign because of the left ACL tear he suffered last season against the Sacramento Kings. This trade proposal gives the Bucks a lethal “Big 2” of Irving and Antetokounmpo, while the Mavericks receive three talented role players in Rollins, Kuzma and Portis and a high draft pick to select one of the top players in college basketball.
Why the Mavericks Trade Kyrie Irving to the Bucks
The Mavericks traded Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards at this year’s trade deadline, but the franchise chose to keep Irving. Why? Because the organization believes Cooper Flagg needs to play with an elite point guard to develop the right way, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal.
However, Flagg has shown this season that he doesn’t necessarily need Irving to develop properly, which is why Buckley thinks the Mavericks should trade Irving this offseason to acquire a top pick in the 2026 draft.
“For as much as the Mavericks might want to see how Flagg would look with a healthy Irving, they should be more eager for the opportunity to add potential long-term building blocks,” Buckley wrote. “Adding a second top-10 pick in a class as celebrated as this could be enormous.”
Irving doesn’t have a no-trade clause in his contract. The nine-time All-Star, who holds career averages of 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks, will make $39.5 million next season. He can become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason of 2027 by declining his 2027-28 player option worth $42.4 million.
Why the Bucks Trade for Kyrie Irving
The Bucks have won just one postseason series since winning the 2021 championship against the Phoenix Suns. They need to surround Antetokounmpo with more talent this offseason to avoid losing the future Hall of Famer.
Irving is one of the best point guards in NBA history. The last time we saw the Duke product on the court, he was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. That’s the type of production Antetokounmpo needs next to him.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks are expected to part ways this offseason unless Milwaukee upgrades the roster around The Greek Freak. It will be fascinating to see if the Bucks pursue a trade for Irving.
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