A Blockbuster Kyrie Irving Trade That Actually Makes Sense

The Orlando Magic made an all-in wager last offseason, but still couldn't avoid their third consecutive loss in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.

They could be motivated to make another major move, although their options are limited given the price of their previous purchase (four first-round picks and a first-round pick swap for Desmond Bane). That said, Orlando can't let its undermanned offense go untouched or expect that a coaching change can be the miracle cure.

The Magic need tangible on-court improvements like better organization, live-dribble scoring, outside shooting and defense-dissecting distributing. Their wish list isn't long. They just have to hope that the bargain bin can somehow supply a solution.

And, honestly, there's a non-zero chance it might. Because Orlando might just find a ready and willing trade partner in the Dallas Mavericks, who are resetting the franchise around 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, and badly need more building blocks.

Let's make a deal.

Full Trade Scenario

Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images

Orlando Magic receive: Kyrie Irving

Dallas Mavericks receive: Jalen Suggs, No. 46 pick and 2028 second-round pick (via LAL or WAS)

Why the Magic Do It

Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images

When Orlando's offense bogs down in the half court, things get ugly. Like, divert-your-attention type of atrocious. Like, 23 straight missed field goals in a potential elimination game type of horrific. Like, wrong side of a 31-0 run type of terrible.

This offense needs a lot of things—proper spacing, consistent shotmaking, on-time and on-target passing—but more than anything, it lacks ingenuity. If Orlando can swing a swap for Irving, it'd be getting one of the most creative isolation scorers in NBA history.

And one of the best ball-handlers the hoops world has ever seen. And a lights-out shooter with a 47.4/39.4/88.8 career shooting slash. And a former champion responsible for one of the most clutch shots in league history.

All at a price the Magic can reasonably afford!

Granted, Irving would be discounted for a reason. He is 34 years old, hasn't played since tearing his ACL in March 2025 and only has a single guaranteed season left on his contract ($42.4 million player option for 2027-28). Acquiring him would come with some real risk, although it'd arguably be considerably less than what Orlando staked on the Bane blockbuster last summer.

It would also offer the type of offensive reward the Magic can't otherwise hope to find. Irving could drum up magic on the ball or buy the likes of Bane, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner breathing room as a shooting decoy away from it. The fit could be phenomenal and a legitimate itch-scratcher.

In turn, maybe that finally makes sense of Orlando's puzzle pieces and assembles them in a way that gives the team no worse than a puncher's chance of escaping the East next season. The Magic think this core can contend. That was the singular focus of the Bane trade, after all.

Looking back, they weren't just one player away from a championship breakthrough. But maybe they're one All-Star addition and one smart coaching hire shy of entering the East's elite ranks.

Why the Mavericks Do It

Brandon Todd/Getty Images

Since Dallas drafted Flagg first overall last summer, the organization has changed lead executives (from Nico Harrison to Masai Ujiri), shipped away the primary player received in the shocking Luka Dončić trade (Anthony Davis) and split from its former head coach (Jason Kidd). This is a top-to-bottom reset, or as ESPN's Shams Charania worded it, "a complete restart for the entire organization."

Dallas is starting over. It's also expressing interest in seeing Flagg's fit with Irving, which...why? There are a million different ways to reset, but holding on to a 34-year-old with injury issues and contract uncertainty isn't one of them. Even if Irving and Flagg can coexist on the court—and, to be clear, their talents should mesh—it'd be a short-term partnership for a non-contender.

What the Mavericks really need is to start laying the foundation around Flagg. Dallas should do so at the upcoming draft, where it holds three picks (including No. 9). But the team could ace this talent grab and still look light on long-term building blocks.

That's why getting out of the Irving business now might be the best move the Mavs can make. Especially if they see keeper potential in Jalen Suggs, the No. 5 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. They could afford to be more patient with his offensive growth, and if they're leaning towards a lead guard with the No. 9 pick, they might see Suggs' dogged defense (All-Defensive Second Team in 2023-24) as the perfect complement to said incoming rookie.

A Flagg-Suggs tandem could be elite defensively and dynamic in transition. Drop in a blue-chip prospect like Houston's Kingston Flemings, Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. or Arizona's Brayden Burries, and you can start seeing a long-term core taking shape—especially if Dallas manages to tackle Dereck Lively II's availability issues.

While the Mavs infamously don't control their own first-round pick again until 2031, completely committing to a youth movement would help bring in draft capital. A few second-rounders land in this deal—a reflection of Irving's age and uncertainty—and more assets would arrive if Dallas dangled plug-and-play vets like P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall.

This feels like the next logical step on Dallas' long road to redemption. Ditching Dončić was an all-time fumble, but the franchise is doing what it can to distance itself from that deal and start fresh with Flagg. Flipping Irving for assets that better fit the Mavericks' timeline seems like a smart continuation of that strategy.