Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks. Image via: NBAThe Mavericks bought out Klay Thompson on August 24, and the four-time champion wasted no time signing with the Miami Heat, pairing him with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo and a suddenly loaded roster built to win now. That move alone reshaped the offseason conversation around Dallas, but it also put a fresh spotlight on the other veteran guard still wearing a Mavericks jersey.Kyrie Irving remains part of Dallas's plans for the moment. The team wants him back alongside rookie Cooper Flagg once he clears the knee injury that ended his 2024-25 season early, and the front office has rejected trade calls on him all summer. Still, rival teams are watching closely, wondering whether that position holds once the February 11 trade deadline starts to close in, and whispers of a Heat run at the nine-time All-Star are only growing.CategoryDetailPlayerKyrie IrvingCurrent teamDallas MavericksRumored teamMiami HeatContract status$42 million player option for 2027-28Salary cap hitNear $39.5 millionTrade likelihoodLow for now, could shift by the Feb. 11 deadlineLatest insider updateMarc Stein reports Dallas wants to start the season with Irving next to Cooper FlaggPotential returnAndrew Wiggins, Davion MitchellWhy Kyrie Irving's situation has put the Mavericks under pressureKyrie Irving. Image via: You Fang/ VCG via Getty ImagesIrving turns 35 in March, and Dallas is entering a stretch where its two most important players sit at opposite ends of the age curve. Before the knee injury cut his 2024-25 campaign to 50 games, he was averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists on 47.3 percent shooting, numbers that still put him among the league's best shot creators when healthy.That gap between Irving and 19-year-old Cooper Flagg is exactly what has rival front offices convinced Dallas's public patience will not last forever. The Mavericks value what Irving can teach Flagg on the floor, but a rough start to the season would change the math fast.Contract: Currently 119 million, $42 million player option for the 2027-28 season2024-25 stats: 24.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.6 APG, 47.3% FG, 40.1% 3PT in 50 gamesCurrent status: recovering from the knee injury that ended his 2024-25 season, expected to open 2026-27 next to FlaggHeat trade idea: fixing Miami's shot creation problemThe version of a Heat-Mavericks deal getting the most traction pairs Andrew Wiggins's $30.2 million expiring salary with Davion Mitchell, sending both to Dallas in exchange for Irving and young guard Sergio De Larrea. A separate, more aggressive framing floated by Basketball Ground has Miami instead sending out Nikola Jovic, Pelle Larsson and three future draft picks, including an unprotected 2030 first-rounder, though Stein's reporting suggests Dallas is not entertaining offers of any size right now.Miami's need is obvious even after a busy summer. Giannis Antetokounmpo can still get to 30 points a night, but his jumper remains streaky enough that Miami's half-court offense stalls when the game slows down in the fourth quarter. Irving's late-clock scoring and pick-and-roll chemistry with Bam Adebayo would give Erik Spoelstra an answer he does not currently have.For Dallas, taking back Wiggins and Mitchell costs almost nothing long-term. Both are pending unrestricted free agents, meaning the Mavericks could simply let either walk next summer if the fit does not work, while Mitchell in particular could carve out a real role next to Flagg given his age and timeline.Hypothetical trade structureHeat receive: Kyrie Irving, Sergio De LarreaMavericks receive: Andrew Wiggins, Davion MitchellPlayer profile Player NameAgePrior-season teamPPG/RPG/APG+/-Contract statusNotesKyrie Irving$34Dallas Mavericks24.7 / 4.8 / 4.62.5$42M player option, 2027-28Nine-time All-Star, 2016 champion; cap hit near $39.5MWhat the Heat gain from this moveIrving slotting in next to Klay Thompson in the backcourt gives Miami a shot creator who thrives exactly when its offense currently breaks down, in the final minutes of tight games. His gravity as a pull-up shooter also opens driving lanes for Antetokounmpo and Adebayo, and a two-man game between Irving and Adebayo would immediately rank among the more dangerous actions in the East.Miami is already operating close to the second apron, and absorbing Irving's money means moving out rotation pieces like Wiggins just to make the math work, leaving the Heat thinner defensively on the wing even as their top-end talent gets scarier.What the Mavericks get in returnWiggins and Mitchell arrive as close to risk-free as a trade return gets. Both are on expiring deals, so Dallas is not locking into either player past this season, and Mitchell's age fits neatly into the timeline the Mavericks are building around Flagg, Dereck Lively II and Zaccharie Risacher.Clearing Irving's money also lets Dallas lean fully into its youth movement a season ahead of schedule, freeing up minutes and shot volume for a young core that just watched the front office move on from Klay Thompson without hesitation.