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The Timberwolves are officially done playing it safe. With Ja Morant off the table, Minnesota is now eyeing Kyrie Irving as a potential blockbuster move to elevate Anthony Edwards and chase the West.

The pool of competing NBA teams has started to narrow down. After Sunday’s regular season finale, only 20 teams remain, with some bound for the play-in tournament while others wait for the start of the first round of the playoffs this weekend. 

For the clubs that have already stepped foot into the offseason, things will only intensify from here. 

Major storylines are expected to gobble up the NBA landscape this summer, from where the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo will go to what the Memphis Grizzlies decide to do with Ja Morant. 

Among those in play for some major retooling are the Dallas Mavericks, who are once again lottery-destined after a trying regular season. 

The only positive for the Mavericks over the 82-game marathon was Rookie of the Year frontrunner Cooper Flagg, who assembled one of the most impressive first-year seasons in recent history. 

With Dallas dialed in on building a strong collection of talent around Flagg, the franchise’s future cornerstone, it must get busy in making moves starting now.

That could mean dealing a former champion in a blockbuster move. 

Former NBA All-Star Guard on the Move This Summer? 

The Mavericks are currently working with a funky roster. 

Flagg is the centerpiece and the unquestioned face of the franchise, but the pieces around him are on varying timelines, starting with star guard Kyrie Irving, who hasn’t played in over a year as he continues to rehab a torn ACL. 

Irving was originally brought into the organization to create a superstar duo with Luka Doncic. Of course, that ship has sailed. 

With Doncic long gone and his successor firmly installed, it leaves Irving in a gray area. As a veteran and multi-time All-Star, what would make more sense for Irving is to move to a team in win-now mode. 

While there hasn’t been any official reports on Dallas looking to shop Irving this summer, many signs point to it being a strong possibility, which is why the 34-year-old Mavericks star is seeing his name in hypothetical trade proposals. 

Bleacher Report released an article on key trades that could become reality this offseason. One proposal sends Irving to a Western Conference contender that could use some star help in the backcourt. 

The trade:

Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: Kyrie Irving, Brook Lopez

Los Angeles Clippers Receive: Rudy Gobert

Dallas Mavericks Receive: Derrick Jones Jr., Bogdan Bogdanović, Joan Beringer, 2029 first-round pick (unprotected from Clippers via Indiana Pacers)

“Last year, Irving was an All-Star who averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals and shot 40.1 percent from three,” Bleacher Report wrote. “Adding him to a T-Wolves team with Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle, Jaden McDaniels, Naz Reid and others would give Minnesota an answer to its point guard dilemma while Lopez helps fill the void left from Gobert’s departure.”

What the Trade Would Mean for Anthony Edwards and Minnesota

The Wolves have remained a perennial Western Conference contender in the last couple of years. Minnesota made the conference finals twice but lacked the needed edge to get over the hump. 

The franchise has rallied behind Edwards, who is averaging 26.9 points in the postseason in his career. A player like Irving would elevate Edwards’ playoff stance even more. 

Irving is a playoff-proven superstar who recently took Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024 in his first full season for the franchise. He also brings championship-winning pedigree and offensive creativity, something that the Timberwolves’ backcourt currently lacks.

Irving didn’t play at all this season as he continued rehabilitation over the ACL injury he suffered last year.

The Mavericks can move him for rebuilding pieces as the Flagg era takes shape.