Mavericks rejecting trade calls on Kyrie Irving

Teams interested in Kyrie Irving are reportedly having trouble getting a conversation started with the Mavericks.

According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Dallas has been turning away inquiries about the veteran guard.

“The Mavs have consistently told teams they don’t even want to field your call,” Stein said on SiriusXM NBA Radio.

That’s a firmer stance than simply putting a high asking price on Irving. It suggests the Mavericks want to see where his partnership with Cooper Flagg can take them before entertaining the idea of breaking it up.

Stein’s reporting follows comments from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who said Irving’s fit with Flagg and influence in the locker room could make a trade increasingly difficult to justify.

“The more I see the team, the more I’m around the team, the more I think it’s going to be awfully hard to trade him,” MacMahon said, as we detailed earlier.

MacMahon expects there would be a strong market for Irving. But he also described Irving and Flagg as “a phenomenal fit,” with Flagg’s ability to initiate the offense taking pressure off the veteran.

Basically, Dallas has a young player to build around and an established star who appears comfortable helping him along. Trading Irving would mean finding another way to provide that support, along with replacing his scoring.