Overview
- Masai Ujiri and GM Mike Schmitz have begun a rapid reset that includes firing coach Jason Kidd and explicitly building the franchise around 19‑year‑old Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg.
- Kyrie Irving told fans he is nearly fully recovered from his ACL on a Twitch stream, but his $39.5 million 2026‑27 salary, age and lack of a no‑trade clause leave him widely viewed as a tradable asset even though Ujiri says no decision has been made.
- Concrete trade concepts are circulating for Irving, including an ESPN‑outlined package sending him to Detroit for Isaiah Stewart, Caris LeVert, Ron Holland and the No. 21 pick in 2026, while analysts and local writers offer variations that add future picks.
- Center Daniel Gafford carries a team‑friendly three‑year, $54.3 million deal and is being pitched as a flip candidate, and independent proposals have linked the Mavericks to wings such as Jonathan Kuminga in two‑for‑one ideas.
- Dallas enters the draft with picks No. 9, 30 and 48 and scout guidance urging shooters and positional size to pair with Flagg, with front office work expected to weigh keeping picks, trading down for more assets, or using them in player deals.