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Kyrie Irving has not played a single game this season, and now there are serious questions about whether he will be in a Dallas Mavericks uniform when next season begins. NBA insider Jake Fischer said on his latest Bleacher Report livestream that he does not fully expect Irving to be on the roster come opening night of the 2026-27 campaign, pointing to the kind of trade interest that tends to build around a player of his caliber sitting on a recovering knee.

Masai Ujiri has taken over as the Mavericks' top executive, Jason Kidd has been let go, and Dallas is clearly in the early stages of reshaping its identity around Cooper Flagg, the teenage No. 1 pick from the 2025 draft. Against that backdrop, a 34-year-old point guard still working his way back from ACL surgery is a complicated piece of the puzzle.

Will Kyrie Irving stay with the Dallas Mavericks in the 2026-27 season?

Jake Fischer was direct about it. "I don't necessarily believe that Kyrie Irving will be on the Mavericks roster come opening night," . "There will be contending teams that would make trade calls to Dallas." The Minnesota Timberwolves have already been floated as a potential destination, and with Dallas sitting in a difficult roster-building position, it is easy to see why those conversations might happen.

The Mavericks have limited control over their own first-round picks until 2031, which puts pressure on the front office to get creative. They cannot simply draft their way out of trouble. That reality, combined with Ujiri's reset mentality, raises genuine questions about whether Irving's contract, worth $39.5 million next season with a $42.4 million player option in 2027, fits the direction the franchise is headed.

To his credit, Ujiri has spoken warmly about Irving. "Kevin Durant once told me, 'There is only one Kyrie walking around in the world,'" he said. "I think we have to figure out a way how Kyrie fits with our program. I have had those conversations with Kyrie. I think Kyrie will fit." There is real curiosity within the organization to see Irving and Flagg share a floor, given the 15-year gap between them.

Kyrie Irving injury update

Irving himself has sounded encouraged. Nearly 15 months after tearing his left ACL, he said during a Twitch livestream last Saturday that he is "definitely close to being over at 100 percent." He had been having an All-Star level season before the injury hit in March 2025, averaging 24.7 points on 47.3 percent shooting along with 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

He also took time to reflect on where he is mentally. "At this age, I do feel like the game is slowing down," Irving said. "But I'm also able to do more out there just more efficiently."

Dallas ranked 27th in offensive rating last season and finished 17-28 in clutch situations. If Irving returns healthy and stays, he could genuinely change those numbers.