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Kyrie Irving's start to the season makes him seem less likely as a trade option

With great starts by both Houston's offense and Kyrie Irving, a marriage does not seem to be in the cards.
ByDarren Butler
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Jan 29, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts to fan during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Jan 29, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts to fan during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Rockets recently picked up first loss of the season in an NBA Cup matchup with the Mavericks, thanks in part to a late offensive explosion from the Mavericks' two stars - Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving. Kyrie Irving had himself a day, producing a stat line of 35 points, 9 assists, and 4 rebounds while shooting 12-for-19. Dallas has had a strong start to the season, and while there was once a point where Irving seemed like a prime trade candidate, that is now looking like a pipe dream.

The Rockets have been great even without Kyrie

When looking at the guard position here in Houston, you will find names such as Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Marcus Smart, and even Reed Sheppard. The Rockets, at 7-2, owe a large part of this record to these names as they've contributed both offensively and defensively to the team's early success. While having Kyrie on this team can look fun, you’d arguably have to give up one or two of these names so is that worth it?

Truthfully, I am not sure I want to see any of this Rockets core broken up in a major way. Yes, we have seen the flaws of this team, especially in the postseason but right now it is working. With how much parity there has been in the league, it is hard to want to part with that.

Kyrie Irving brings his own complications

Quick story: as a 16-year-old in 2017 living in Massachusetts, I was getting a new phone and it took way longer than it should have. Right as my new phone activated I got a weird notification from my tickets app: “Kyrie Irving will make his Boston home debut on 10/18”. I would soon find out that my Celtics had just traded Isaiah Thomas for Kyrie.

I bring this up to provide perspective because as many NBA fans may know, Kyrie is not exactly liked in Boston. I have been to many games at the Garden and I can admit that watching Kyrie play basketball was an art so when he left I was in the middle; it's business at the end of the day. Between his exit in Boston and his stint in Brooklyn, a lot of controversy followed Irving around.

Regardless of how you feel about Kyrie as a player or person, I feel we're past the harsh criticism that surrounded him. Irving is certainly a very talented basketball player, as evidenced by his efficient 23 points per game this season. I don’t think he is going anywhere, and it certainly will benefit someone like Cooper Flagg as of now, if he stays.

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