標籤: Irving

On Friday night, the Minnesota Timberwolves 2025-26 season came to an emphatic end with a victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 6 by a score of 139-109. The loss means the Wolves are one of 10 teams to never win an NBA championship.

Still, the Timberwolves aren’t far off after reaching the conference finals the past two seasons and facing serious resistance against a team with the second-best record in the league. Still, if Minnesota wants to make a more serious run at its first title next season, changes must come this off-season.

They have a superstar scorer in Anthony Edwards, and a ton of front-court depth they could use in a trade to land another elite scorer or impressive veteran at point guard. With that in mind, we’re taking a look at eight stars the team needs to succeed this summer.

junior holiday

Mike Conley has been a good veteran for the last four seasons. However, at 38, his best days are well behind him, and he may retire this summer. Additionally, Ayo Dosunmu improved his free agent value with a strong postseason performance.

That’s why Jrue Holiday should be a target this offseason. Yes, he’s overpaid, but he’s a winner, and surprisingly, he played a key leadership role in getting the Portland Trail Blazers back to the postseason this year. With Damian Lillard returning next season, he will be the unique guy. Both teams could consider swapping him for Rudy Gobert this summer.

giannis antetokounmpo

After dealing with them in February, you can bet the Timberwolves will trade for Milwaukee Bucks veteran Giannis Antetokounmpo again this summer. The big question is, do they have the young players the Bucks will want?

If Milwaukee were to agree to take players like Gobert or Julius Randle in return, Minnesota would likely give up a hefty amount of draft picks to acquire the two-time MVP.

Fred VanVleet

Another possible option to get a veteran point guard would be Fred VanVleet. The 32-year-old has a player option he can exercise to sign a multi-year deal in the range of $15 million to $20 million annually. Like Holiday, the one-time All-Star is a winning player and could be a real difference maker leading Minnesota’s offense next season. That’s assuming he’s fully recovered from his ACL tear last year.

kyrie irving

If the Timberwolves want to be a little adventurous, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving could be available. There have already been reports that the team will consider moving him next year because the deadline he wants to work with doesn’t line up with franchise newcomer Cooper Flagg.

A package of Jaden McDaniels, Donte DiVincenzo’s expiring contract, and a future first-round pick should be enough to get a deal done for the 34-year-old who is recovering from an ACL injury last year.

Kevin Durant

There were rumors last season that the Timberwolves had made a strong bid for future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant. However, no deal was reached and the Phoenix Suns traded him to the Houston Rockets. While it’s unlikely Houston would move him, keeping a player close to retirement and trading Alpern Sengun would seem like bad business.

Wolves could make a great offer, and the combo of Edwards and his idol making the team for a season or two would be must-see television.

ja morant

One player who could be available at a reasonable rate would be two-time All-Star Ja Morant. The Memphis Grizzlies star’s value has hit an all-time low in recent years due to his injury problems and off-court drama. If the Timberwolves have trouble making big deals, Morant would be an interesting fallback option because if they can get him right, a Morant and Edwards combo would be awesome.

paul george

If Minnesota likes the idea of ​​a player like Durant, but he is unavailable, a backup option would be another future HOFer in Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George. Has he passed his prime and is prone to injury? Yes. But when healthy, he is still an impact player who would be a good third option behind Edwards, and if they keep Randle.

Domantas Sabonis

Speaking of Randle, the front office may decide a divorce is in the best interests of both parties. One player with a similar contract and who also needs a change of scenery is Sacramento Kings star Domantas Sabonis. The three-time All-Star offers a similar skill set and could fit well into Minnesota’s system. The bigger issue is that he missed much of last season due to suffering a meniscus tear.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

The Dallas Mavericks are currently looking towards their second consecutive season in the NBA lottery after their 2024 NBA Finals appearance. Things went pretty well for Dallas the last time he was there, as the team landed the number one overall pick Cooper Flagg, who is currently in the running with former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel for the NBA Rookie of the Year award.

Another former Duke player on the Dallas roster is point guard Kyrie Irving, who will miss this season recovering from ACL surgery.

In his absence, the Mavericks have predictably lost some games, but recently, Flagg revealed how Irving has taken on a leadership role despite being on the sidelines.

“He stepped in like a great vet for me and gave me guidance there because there were definitely times when I was shaken up,” Flagg said via Ron Harrod Jr. of the Dallas Mavs on Twitter, according to ESPN’s NBA Today. “I had never lost so much in my life. But to hear him say that and tell me that I’m doing everything I need to do and to just stick with it and stay positive, it definitely helped me a lot.”

Flagg became accustomed to winning during his time as a high school standout and college freshman star, but that has stopped in the NBA, as Dallas opted to blow things up at the trade deadline by trading Anthony Davis.

The expectation is that the Mavericks will be able to add a flag in this year’s lottery and another high-level talent to pair with a healthy Irving next year, creating a potential contender in the West.

Clearly, Irving is still finding ways to stay busy despite his struggles this season.

The Dallas Mavericks are on a tear after losing eight straight games in recent weeks following Tuesday night’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. At this point, the main things Mavericks fans have to look forward to are the development of star rookie Cooper Flagg and the NBA Draft Lottery, which is scheduled to take place in May.

At the trade deadline, the Mavericks opted to reduce their losses from the Luka Doncic trade by sending big man Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, although they surprised some by grabbing injured point guard Kyrie Irving, who will not play this season as he recovers from ACL surgery.

Recently, ESPN NBA insider Jeremy Wu released his mock draft for 2026, and he asked the Mavericks to select Irving’s long-term replacement by taking Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh pick.

Wu said on ESPN.com, “Acuff was named SEC Player of the Year after a stellar season that solidified him as a lottery pick. His ability to navigate tight spaces on the court, create his own offense and find teammates has been a major differentiator.”

Wu also reported that “Dallas is another potential point guard landing spot, with Kyrie Irving now 33 and the Mavs building around the emerging Cooper Flagg. Finding a long-term starter at the position would be a coup for their future.”

Indeed, Irving doesn’t necessarily fit the timeline of the Mavericks, who have fully embraced a rebuild around Flagg, whom they selected as the number one overall pick last year.

Adding Acuff would give the Mavericks another building block as an electric scorer who can put consistent pressure on opposing defenses, and give Flagg more room to operate.

The NBA lottery is scheduled to take place on May 10.

The New York Knicks have tried to land a superstar for years. From pursuing LeBron James’ free agency in 2010 to being linked to stars like Donovan Mitchell and even Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Knicks appear to be home to one of basketball’s biggest stars and a perennial championship contender. But, that effort to acquire franchise-changing talent hindered the Knicks for several years.

In an interview with Fan Duel TV play it backFormer Knicks coach David Fizdale looks back at the 2018-2019 season, where New York went 17-65. According to him, the team was trying to land either Zion Williamson or Ja Morant in the 2019 NBA Draft, while also trying to land Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

“I was totally on board with the plan we came up with, and I thought this was the deal and this was the way to go about it. It didn’t work out… losing all the games, sacrificing our record to get Zion Williamson or Ja.

He added, “That summer our guys thought KD and Kyrie were definitely coming to us, but it didn’t work out.”

The Knicks have had some productive role players on the team, such as Luke Kornet, who is emerging as a backup center with the Spurs this season. Tim Hardaway, Courtney Lee and Enes Kanter have had productive years in the league and Kristaps Porziņš, though battling injuries, recently helped the Boston Celtics win the 2024 NBA title.

But Fizdale believed the roster construction was not really conducive to winning.

“When you look at that roster as a whole, all solid players, but when you put them on the floor together, the pieces weren’t working… If I were doing it again, I would have struggled more to make a team early on and not cash in on my record.”

Overall, Fizdale brought a different take to the conversation about tanking. The tanking discussion has been a big one throughout the season, and Fizdale offered a different perspective on it.

“That’s the hard part for coaches when you agree to tank. When you tank, you have to build something big. Not everything that happens is considered a tank… That’s not the formula.”

When Kyrie Irving suffered an ACL tear last March, everyone knew the star point guard would miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 season. As the year progressed, the timeline for recovery became blurry and as the Dallas Mavericks sank more rapidly, the expectation was that he would not play at all until the next campaign. The team officially signed Irving on Wednesday, a move that fans are extremely appreciative of.

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd explained exclusively why the 2016 NBA champions will be inactive for the remainder of the season.

“Long-term health,” he said, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. “We want to make sure he’s ready for next season… In practice, some of the things he’s been working on have looked good. I think as we get into March and April, we want him to keep moving in the right direction. With the decision he’s made, we’re thinking about his health long-term and us staying healthy next season.”

Mavericks hoping to make a strong comeback next season

Dallas clearly doesn’t want Irving to return for the final round of a losing campaign and potentially cause a blowout or inadvertently harm the franchise’s draft position. The Mavericks have had a rough year as they navigate their way into the post-Luka Doncic era. Spectacular rookie Cooper Flagg ensures that Dallas can return to the upside at some point soon, but he could definitely use some more help.

A premium draft pick in a loaded class could give the Mavs one of the brightest futures in the NBA. Kyrie Irving also benefits from this. The 33-year-old knows he has limited time to win a second ring. He’s still a high-level scorer, but taking on larger offensive responsibilities on a nightly basis seems impractical, especially after a major injury. A rising flag and a potential top-five pick might take the load off a bit.

However, due to the young talent on this roster, Irving will still be an extremely important component of the Mavericks for the next two seasons. However, he cannot play that role until he is healthy. The future Hall of Famer now has an additional 200-plus days to recover.

Recently, it was announced that Dallas Mavericks star point guard Kyrie Irving will miss the remainder of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn ACL. Mavericks fans likely won’t be disappointed by this news, considering the team is currently headed to another lottery selection after trying their luck at the Cooper Flag last year.

Over the weekend, the NBA All-Star festivities took place in Los Angeles, and now, Irving is attacking the NBA media for its conduct at the event.

“No real questions,” Irving said of the media, according to Sportsville on Instagram. “And whenever anyone asks a real question, it’s an argument for something else, or a brand setup or something. And you all know what real question I’m talking about… They don’t want to talk about anything that’s actually going on. You all know what I’m talking about.”

Although Irving didn’t reveal much else, he declined to do an interview with ESPN over the weekend, saying he “don’t really care” about the publication.

According to Al Jazeera, Irving also recently wore a shirt that honored journalists covering the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

The tag on the shirt read, “Dedicated to our beloved journalists in Gaza for showing the truth to the world.”

Irving has never been shy about speaking his mind on real-world issues throughout his career, which has sometimes led to him facing criticism from league front offices, especially during his time with the Brooklyn Nets.

Shortly after the Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the star has been out of the lineup since tearing his ACL last March, and this year he has watched from the sidelines as Flagg has turned into one of the best rookies in recent NBA history.

The Mavericks next face off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday evening.

Still recovering from last season’s ACL injury, many expected Kyrie Irving to return to the field this time around. It looks like he is putting the brakes on returning for this season and recently announced that he will be sitting out the entire year.

According to Joey Mistretta of Clutch Points, Irving wrote a statement regarding the decision.

“This decision was not easy, but it is the right one. I am grateful to the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process,” Irving wrote. “I’m looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The confidence and enthusiasm I have is only growing.

“And I want to say a big thank you to all of my brothers and sisters who have torn ACLs or been injured doing the work they love to do every day. Thank you for the inspiration. No fear!”

Irving’s agent, Shetalia Riley Irving, told ESPN that this will help the Mavericks guard return to full strength next season.

“It’s about being 1000% when Kyrie comes back and giving ourselves the best chance to chase a championship next season,” Riley Irving said, via Shams Charania.

With the Mavericks at the bottom of the Western Conference standings and beginning to build the team around Cooper Flagg, Irving didn’t have much need to rush. Had they been fighting for a playoff spot, things probably would have been different, and he would have bounced back around the time he should have.

Sitting out the entire season gives Irving more time to get back to the player he was before the injury, which is one of the most dangerous scoring point guards out there. It will be interesting to see what he looks like when he returns next season.

The Dallas Mavericks had to deal with some injuries throughout the season, and many wanted to see what they would look like when they were fully healthy. Unfortunately, the Mavericks decided to move on from Anthony Davis and traded him to the Washington Wizards after he barely played due to injury.

Another player everyone is waiting to see is Kyrie Irving, who is still recovering from his ACL injury from last March. Irving has stepped up his rehabilitation, and he recently spoke to his fans on a live stream about updates on his injury.

“I’ll give you guys an update after the All-Star break. Whether it’s this year or next year, it doesn’t matter. I’ll speak when the time is right,” he said.

Before this season, there were reports that Irving would probably return around the second half of the season. If that’s still the case, he’s likely close to getting back on the court, but things can always change. The fact that the Mavericks aren’t particularly in a position where they’re fighting for a playoff spot means they can give Irving all the time he needs to get healthy.

The Mavericks have been missing a point guard like Irving all season and for now, head coach Jason Kidd has put Cooper Flagg at that spot. It was a rough start for Flagg, but he has begun to acclimate to his role on the field and is making progress in almost every game.

It will still be interesting to see how the Mavericks will look with Irving on the floor, but as of now, it is uncertain whether he will return to the floor this season.

With the Mavericks handing the keys to Flagg, they may also look to get younger in the offseason, and possibly try to deal Irving if he doesn’t fit into what they’re trying to do.

Anthony Edwards never faced a challenge he didn’t like, and that includes locking down one of the greatest ball-handlers in NBA history. The Minnesota Timberwolves star recently caused a stir by claiming he can perfectly guard Kyrie Irving in a one-on-one setting. While Irving is currently trying to come back from a torn ACL, “Ant-Man’s” confidence hasn’t wavered one bit.

“Oh sure I can guard Kyrie,” Edwards said when asked about a hypothetical matchup. “In a 1-on-1 setting, I like me.”

“Oh, of course I can protect Kairi [Irving]…In a 1-on-1 setting, I like me”

Anthony Edwards says he can compete with Kyrie Irving on 1v1 👀

pic.twitter.com/nhOuY3ohd5

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 15 February 2026

It’s the exact brand of fearless bravery that has the Timberwolves sitting near the top of the Western Conference. Minnesota most recently took care of business with an impressive 118-105 win against a short-handed Dallas Mavericks team on January 28, 2026. Even without Irving to test his theory, Edwards made his presence felt on the stat sheet.

The face of the franchise finished the night with 20 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals in 38 minutes of action. While Julius Randle led the scoring charge with a massive 31 points, Edwards served as the engine that kept the Wolves ahead.

On the other hand, PJ Washington tried to keep the Mavericks afloat with 21 points, but Dallas clearly missed the offensive intensity of its star backcourt.

Irving has historically been a nightmare for Minnesota, averaging 31.6 points in his last ten contests against them. However, as the Timberwolves currently have a 34–22 record and one of the weakest defenses in the league, Edwards is eager for the chance to prove his defensive ability. For now, the NBA world can only imagine what a duel between these two would be like, but Edwards has already made his choice.