NBA Trade Rumors: Mavs 'Confident' in Jason Kidd Coaching Kyrie Irving, Luka Dončić

If the Dallas Mavericks did acquire Kyrie Irving to play alongside Luka Dončić, perhaps the biggest test would be for head coach Jason Kidd to handle the dynamic between two ball-dominant superstars.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavs have "contemplated" a trade for Irving dating back to last summer, and "all indications" are the team has confidence Kidd would be able to make things work with Dončić if a deal does come together.

Irving is looking to be dealt by the Brooklyn Nets ahead of Thursday's trade deadline after contract talks broke down because the Nets weren't willing to fully guarantee his salary in the final year of an extension, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

While there's no indication that a trade will be worked out, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Mavs are "expected" to show interest in Irving soon. The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns have expressed interest in the eight-time All-Star, per Wojnarowski.

The Mavs would have to accept some risk in trading for Irving because he will become a free agent this offseason and may not be want to be with the team in the long term.

"Then, the team must contemplate whether it would be interested in committing to him," The Athletic's Tim Cato wrote. "Some members of the team's front office have hesitation that Irving would be a compatible long-term locker room fit for Dončić given their drastically different off-court personas, several team sources tell The Athletic, all of them granted anonymity so that they could speak freely."

Irving would be the best player Dončić has partnered with, but he has consistently made headlines for the wrong reasons. Most recently this season, Irving was suspended for eight games after promoting an antisemitic film on his social media and then initially refusing to apologize or denounce antisemitism.

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer noted Kidd "has been considered a proponent" of Dallas' adding Irving, while Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub wrote in 2018 that Irving considered Kidd his favorite player when he was growing up in New Jersey.

Irving and Kidd played against each other three times during Kidd's final season in 2012-13. The 49-year-old is in his second season as Mavericks head coach.