Stein’s Latest: Irving, Mavs Vets, Brown, Murphy

The Mavericks have been receiving trade calls for Kyrie Irving but have reportedly stood firm in their stance that the star point guard is not available, Marc Stein writes in the latest story for The Stein Line (subscriber link).

New Mavs president Masai Ujiri has stated from the beginning of his tenure with the team that he hopes to see Irving and franchise cornerstone Cooper Flagg play together, despite the sizable age gap between them.

The Pistons and Timberwolves are two teams known to have interest in the 34-year-old’s services, while the Rockets have not inquired after him despite some speculation that they’d be a suitor, Stein reports.

Irving is coming off a missed season due to an ACL tear and is still under contract in Dallas for two more seasons. It appears that Ujiri wants to get a sense of how he can help Flagg’s development before determining whether to deal him.

We have more from Stein’s newsletter:

• While the Mavericks are signaling their lack of interest in dealing Irving, some of their other veterans may be more available. Stein writes that Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford are all players the team is seen as more open to the possibility of moving, with Thompson standing out as a clear candidate to be moved, given his expiring contract.
• After previous reports from the Stein Line indicated which teams were most active in pursuing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stein adds that there is interest around the league in whether a robust market could form for a third team to take on Jaylen Brown in a deal that would send the Bucks star to the Celtics. The Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Hawks have all been rumored to have interest in Brown, but his contract makes it somewhat difficult to find good fits from a salary-matching perspective.
• Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III remains one of the most sought-after names on the trade market, with Stein describing the interest for him around the league as “intense.” The Pistons and Pacers are two teams that have reportedly registered their interest. As of yet, the trade discussions have all been initiated by other teams rather than the Pelicans offering him in deals. However, Stein notes that this is the first time that the Joe Dumars-led front office has been willing to entertain offers.