Nico Harrison recently spoke on the Dallas Mavericks’ current situation concerning Kyrie Irving and his personal thoughts on the replacement options that the team could pursue soon.
After trading away Luka Dončić in February 2025 to acquire Anthony Davis, Harrison and the Mavericks’ upper management were scrutinized heavily for taking a significant risk despite having made it to the NBA Finals with Dončić on their roster in 2024.
Within a matter of weeks, several stars on the Mavericks’ roster, such as Irving and Davis, sustained serious injuries, which led to the Mavericks being eliminated from postseason contention in the 2024-2025 NBA season.
Since then, things have started to get better for the organization. After they stunned the NBA world by securing the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and using it to select Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks appear to be legitimate title contenders. However, the void that Irving’s absence has created needs to be addressed immediately.
Dallas Mavericks Eyeing Guards to Fill Kyrie Irving’s Void
Although the Mavericks might have been able to contend for an NBA championship even after trading away Dončić, Irving’s unexpected ACL tear in March 2025 threw those aspirations out the window, forcing the team to accept their fate this season and look to the future.
While adding a young and potentially generational prospect like Flagg to their roster undoubtedly helps the Mavericks, they are still lacking in the backcourt and will likely need an experienced guard if they wish to contend for a title in the upcoming 2025-2026 season.
Some may assume that several stars are unwilling to join the Mavericks, given Harrison’s secretive method of trading away Dončić. However, the Mavericks’ General Manager remains confident that the team will be able to recruit experienced talent to compensate for Irving’s temporary absence.
Nico Harrison is “super confident” that the Mavericks will have their choice when it comes to signing a guard in free agency to help fill in while Kyrie Irving is out.
He says many players want to play for the Mavs. pic.twitter.com/ImotFrZtY3
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) June 26, 2025
“Yeah, I think we’re going to have our choice. A lot of players will want to come play in Dallas. So I think we’ll have our choice. Based upon the money and opportunity we have, obviously there’s limitations to us having our choice. But I think all things equal in terms of money, we’ll have our choice of player we want to get. Super confident of that…”
While Harrison remains positive that the Mavericks will be a destination that star guards across the league will want to join, he was unable to deny the fact that the money and opportunity for anyone joining the team will be limited. Moreover, there aren’t too many experienced and talented guards willing to take a pay cut in order to join the Mavericks and potentially compete for a championship.
The Mavericks already have several experienced and well-paid stars on their roster, such as Irving, Davis, and Klay Thompson. Therefore, they are unlikely to offer any guard joining them on a temporary basis a long-term deal. Their current cap situation will likely allow them to offer a player only the taxpayer mid-level exception, estimated at $5.7 million for the 2025-2026 season.
Some fans seem to believe that the Mavericks could convince D’Angelo Russell to join their team and might be willing to make him an offer. The Mavericks are reportedly a leading suitor for Russell, who could provide a starting point guard option until Irving’s return, which is expected around December 2025 or January 2026.
However, the market for talented guards in the middle of their prime who are looking to leave their current team is quite small. Fans are left wondering if there is any chance for the Mavericks to make another roster upgrade this offseason and if that will help them contend for a title in the 2025-2026 NBA season.
