Mavericks plan to keep Irving with Flagg

The Dallas Mavericks say they intend to keep Kyrie Irving alongside Cooper Flagg, despite rival executives questioning whether the veteran guard’s age, injury history and different career timeline from the young star make the plan practical. Team president Masai Ujiri has consistently backed the pairing, while the team sees Irving as both a proven scorer and a potential mentor for Flagg. Irving returned to preseason action after missing last season with a torn ACL, scoring 17 points in 22 minutes against Houston. Coach Dusty May said Dallas is still working on the spacing and off-ball movement needed to make the most of Irving, as the team builds around its returning star and emerging young core.