The Dallas Mavericks may be without Kyrie Irving, but the veteran star sees a leader taking his place, and he’s making sure everyone knows it. As Irving continues his recovery from a torn ACL, the outlook on his return remains uncertain. Still, from the sidelines, he’s been watching closely, and what he sees in 19-year-old rookie Cooper Flagg has clearly left an impression.

“Well, Cooper is just an amazing player,” Irving said on his live stream. “And that’s not even just gassing him. At 19 years old, doing the things he does within our league is very special. And when I say very special, I don’t want to mince my words either. He’s doing things that some of the greats, even before him, didn’t do.

Irving didn’t stop there.

“So proud of him. He’s taking on responsibility, holding down the fort with our other teammates while I’m not playing or when I’m not able to be out on the court. And he’s doing a great job. You know, I think he needs a lot more of that push, especially from the media, because he’s already doing stuff in a different way where he’s ending up in those historical record books. Right? I’m just going to leave it at that.”

With injuries clouding Dallas’ immediate future, Irving’s absence has forced the franchise to lean heavily on its rookie. If Flagg continues on his current trajectory, the Mavericks may have already found more than just a temporary replacement – they may have found their next cornerstone.

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Many expected Cooper Flagg to take his time in Dallas, since Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving were around him. But injuries to the veterans meant that the Maine native had to take the leadership role. He is at the top of the ROTY accolades for now because of his 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. While doing so, he had to deal with a role change.

The Irving-Flagg dynamic isn’t entirely unique. The NBA has seen similar moments where an injured or aging star publicly empowered the next face of the franchise. When Stephen Curry broke his hand during the 2019–20 season, the Golden State Warriors were forced to pivot toward a youth movement.

Though that year ultimately became a reset season, Curry consistently voiced confidence in the team’s younger core, setting the tone for their rapid return to contention.

A decade earlier, Kobe Bryant took a similar approach with a young Andrew Bynum on the Los Angeles Lakers. Bryant’s public challenges and praise helped accelerate Bynum’s development during injury-riddled stretches for the franchise. While not every mentorship arc leads to championships, the league has long operated on this bridge between generations.

In Dallas, that bridge is being built in real time.

Jason Kidd had started the season with Flagg at point guard. However, the rookie struggled to manage the ball and committed turnovers. The head coach then retracted his decision and got D’Angelo Russell to initiate the offense. After the plan with Russell failed, Kidd reinserted Flagg in the optimized role. While adjusting to the league’s pace and the role with the Mavs, the Duke alum made multiple records in his name.

He became the first rookie since Michael Jordan to produce four consecutive performances of 30 points alongside five rebounds. Furthermore, he joined Allen Iverson as the only rookie to amass 150 or more points across any four-game stretch. There is more. Cooper Flagg also became the first rookie in Mavericks history to break Mark Aguirre’s single-game scoring record of 42 points, which had stood for over four decades.

While going through these highs, the Mavs were struck with unfortunate news. On Wednesday, the rookie walked off the floor with a left mid-foot sprain. Flagg underwent an MRI, which confirmed the injury. It also meant the 2025 No. 1 draft pick missed the 2026 NBA All-Star weekend and the Friday Rising Stars tournament.

The Mavs rookie was present on the courtside during the ASW but had a walking boot to avoid any further damage. There is currently no timeline for his return. As he remains out, the hopes of Kai returning sooner also fade.

Kyrie Irving provides an uncertain update

Throughout the season, Irving has remained tight-lipped about his return to NBA action. Initially, coach Kidd expressed hope in November that Irving would return this season rather than next. Since then, however, Kidd has tempered his optimism. According to Kyrie Irving himself, a return will not come simply because he feels “100 percent.”

“[Recovery] is going well, and whenever I’m a hundred and fifty percent healthy, I’ll be back,” Irving said in an interview. “I want to be better than I was, so that’s saying a lot. It’s a big hill to climb, but it’s worth it.”

Another reason the Mavericks are not rushing to bring back the 2016 NBA champion is the franchise’s current plans. “Irving remains a key part of the Mavs’ plans, but it is uncertain if he will play at all this season. The popular opinion of rival executives is that the Mavs, who are seventh in the lottery standings with a 19-34 record, would be wise to put Irving’s return on hold until training camp, even if he’s cleared to return this season,” Insider McMahon wrote.

Since Kyrie Irving is not being rushed, there is a possibility that Cooper Flagg also, at some point in the season, gets that extended rest. As the Mavs are still eyeing the duo of Irving and Flagg to be healthy and ready next season.