In May, rumors arose that the Dallas Mavericks may be ready to move on from Kyrie Irving, which caught the interest of some Raptors fans. Irving may be 34 years old and fresh off an ACL injury, but he would very much help with the Raptors’ scoring, creation, and 3-point issues. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in the 2024-25 season while shooting 40.1% from three on 7.2 attempts.
Irving can create his own shot, make plays for his teammates, and act as a go-to option on the perimeter. That’s exactly what the Raptors need in their guard rotation. There was even some hope that Masai Ujiri, the Mavericks’ new GM, would be more interested in some of the Raptors’ players than other GMs across the league since he brought many of them to Toronto.
Trading for Irving would drastically accelerate the Raptors’ timeline, but it could have vastly boosted their chances of being a true contender in the Eastern Conference. Could have are the key words here. Dreams of Irving running the Raptors’ offense are unlikely to become more than that anytime soon, according to recent reporting by Marc Stein.
“Sources tell The Stein Line that the Mavericks, thus far this offseason, have been messaging to teams that Irving is not available,” Stein wrote in the June 12 edition of The Stein Line.
The Raptors will have other options to improve their guard play
Irving isn’t the only guard potentially available to the Raptors this offseason. They can pick a guard in the draft to boost their depth behind Immanuel Quickley and Jamal Shead, chase a cheap veteran in free agency, or explore trades for big fish like Jamal Murray or Donovan Mitchell.
Whatever route the Raptors choose—or are forced to take, depending on what the trade market and free agency look like—they need to do something. Quickley’s injury this season really exposed the Raptors’ lack of depth and quality production in the guard rotation.
If there’s one thing this year’s playoffs highlighted, it’s that guard play matters. Victor Wembanyama and Karl-Anthony Towns may be key to the Spurs’ and Knicks’ success, but neither team would be as good as it is without elite guard play from guys like Jalen Brunson, Stephon Castle, De’Aaron Fox, and Dylan Harper. The same goes for the Thunder and Cavs, who made it to their respective conference finals thanks to big seasons from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Donovan Mitchell.
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