According to NBA insider Chris Mannix of SI, the Dallas Mavericks don’t want to trade Kyrie Irving because of Cooper Flagg.

The Mavericks believe Flagg needs to play with an elite point guard to develop the right way.

“They don’t wanna deal Kyrie Irving,” Mannix said. “Like they think Cooper Flagg needs to play next to a elite point guard to develop him the right way.”

Flagg is off to a great start in the NBA. He’s averaging 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field, 25.3% from 3 and 82.2% from the foul line.

The Mavericks are 9-16. They are in 11th place in the West.

After firing Nico Harrison as general manager, Dallas’ new front office has discussed Anthony Davis trades with several teams, sources told DallasHoopsJournal, but it’s not guaranteed that Davis gets traded this season because of his massive contract.

Irving appeared in 50 games for the Mavericks last season. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists per game while shooting 47.3% from the field, 40.1% from beyond the arc and 91.6% from the free-throw line.

Dallas signed Irving to a three-year, $118 million contract in July. Irving is making $36.6 million this season. He can become an unrestricted free agent in 2027 by declining his 2027-28 player option worth $42.4 million.

A nine-time All-Star, Irving has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets and Mavericks. He has career averages of 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.6 assists per game. The 33-year-old won the 2016 championship with the Cavaliers.

At Mavericks media day, Irving said he didn’t know when he’d be back from his ACL injury.

“Nah, I didn’t even approach it like that once I got injured,” Irving said. “Obviously everyone has their own timeline in terms of doctors coming on, giving their expert opinion, analysts are gonna do their thing as well, which I respect. For me, it was about going internal, figuring out what I can do to push myself to get where I need to be and I’ve made that statement clear that I’m trying to be better than where I was, which is, it’s a hard task.”