The Dallas Mavericks parted ways with GM Nico Harrison nine months after his infamous decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
That left many fans wondering about the future of the franchise. One thought that came to mind was Kyrie Irving’s future despite re-signing with the Mavericks for three years, $119 million over the offseason.
Naturally, the Houston Rockets were mentioned as a potential landing spot for the nine-time All-Star, given their need for a point guard and Irving’s relationship with Kevin Durant.
It’s unknown how close the former 7/11 duo remain, but they had a special relationship during their time together with the Brooklyn Nets.
They had special handshakes, openly praised one another after explosive scoring nights and catapulted the Nets into championship contention overnight, though injuries and other circumstances prevented the duo from living up to its fullest potential together while wearing the black and white.
They also became the first and only duo to score at least 50 points in back-to-back games.
With Irving developing into more of a leader in Dallas and openly admitting his imperfections and the growing pains he experienced playing close to home, now could be the time where two of the best scorers of all time could team back up.
The Rockets also have Amen Thompson to help Irving with Houston’s point of attack defense and Alperen Sengun who could set both Irving and Durant up for easy looks as cutters or on the perimeter.
Sticking Irving next to Thompson in the backcourt could also help prevent Thompson from taking too many 3-pointers, as Irving’s gravity could allow Thompson to glide through open lanes and inflict damage at the rim.
A realistic trade package is where this potential scenario gets tricky. Houston could dangle Fred VanVleet and Reed Sheppard to get the salaries to match, but VanVleet has a no-trade clause, and it’s uncertain that he’d be willing to go to Dallas given its current situation.
Houston has several draft picks that could entice the Mavericks into making a deal, but would the Rockets be willing to part with valuable draft assets for a 33-year-old who is recovering from a torn ACL?
It’s a fun exercise to think of Durant and Irving teaming back up with pieces that could help the duo add another ring to their collection, but all things considered, it’s highly unlikely to happen, at least this season.
