Although former Duke Blue Devil Kyrie Irving has garnered trade interest from contending teams this offseason, the Dallas Mavericks have expressed their desire
to begin the year with him as the starting point guard, alongside another former No. 1 overall pick from Duke, Cooper Flagg. Throughout the summer, Irving has remained in the gym, working on his game after missing the entire 2025-26 season while recovering from injury.Ahead of his return, Irving's new head coach, former Michigan Wolverines coach Dusty May, had nothing but positives for Irving.
“I’ve watched him work out on his own, and I’ve watched him play pickup, and then I’ve gotten feedback from others that have watched him play recently, and I couldn’t be more excited to be on his team.
I’ve been blown away,” said May.
“We all know how talented Kyrie is with the ball in his hands, but to see his level of preparation, attention to detail, and IQ, it’s something that I’ve never seen at the level that he works at."
A former NBA champion and a nine-time All-Star, Irving knows a thing or two about success in the NBA. Throughout his 14-year career, Irving holds averages of 23.7 points, 5.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.4 blocks while shooting 47.4% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. While a midseason trade is not yet off the table, May will certainly be thrilled to begin the year with Irving on the roster, as his expertise can offer plenty to Dallas' young core.
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This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Dallas Mavericks coach raves about Kyrie Irving amid NBA offseason
