Overview
- Ujiri has publicly instructed the organization to retain Irving as Flagg’s co‑star and mentor for the upcoming season, placing both players at the center of Dallas’s short‑term plan.
- Irving made his first on‑court appearance since a March 2025 ACL tear in Macau, scoring 17 points in 22 minutes in a preseason win and saying he wants to ease pressure on Flagg.
- Flagg flashed further signs that he is Dallas’s cornerstone with a combined 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists across two Macau preseason games and comments that he is finding his voice.
- League executives expect Irving’s name to surface in trade discussions before the February 2027 deadline because of his market value and the Mavericks’ roster gaps, so the pairing is publicly committed but not guaranteed.
- The decision follows Dallas’s post‑Doncic reset and front‑office overhaul under Ujiri and coach Dusty May, and it raises two clear needs for the franchise: add reliable guard depth and align contracts to a long‑term timeline for Flagg’s development.