KyrieIrving

Preseason question: What does Kyrie want? Whether Irving will help the Mavericks isn’t really up for debate. That much is clear in the ease of his production, the variety of his scoring, and the command he has over the ebbs and flows of the game. It was also very much on display in his absence last season, when Dallas struggled to scrape together enough ballhandling for a coherent offense. Kyrie is valuable to the Mavericks for as long as he decides to be. And if he wants to go somewhere else, he’d be an incredibly valuable trade candidate—an easy fit for any number of contending teams. It’s up to Irving and the Mavericks to decide what makes sense for them both, but Kyrie is the one on the clock. Irving is a smaller guard in his mid-30s who’s coming off yet another major injury. His time on the court is precious. But who’s to tell Irving, who’s always dribbled to the beat of his own drum, what to do with the basketball he has left?