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The Dallas Mavericks brought in a new head coach this summer, Dusty May, and Kyrie Irving has managed to blow him away. May recently appeared on 105.3 The Fan’s K&C Masterpiece show, where he spoke glowingly of Irving. “Well, I’ve been a part of a couple of workouts with Kyrie,” May said. “I’ve watched him work out on his own, and I’ve watched him play pickup, and then I’ve gotten feedback from others that have watched him play recently, and I couldn’t be more excited to be on his team. I’ve been blown away. “We all know how talented Kyrie is with the ball in his hands; when the ball’s not in his hands,” May continued. “But to see his level of preparation, attention to detail, and IQ, it’s something that I’ve never seen at the level that he works at. And I can’t wait for him to share that with the rest of our group, especially the young core that we have.” Those players probably can’t wait either. It has been just over 18 months now since Irving tore his left ACL during a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, 2025. The 34-year-old would miss the rest of that season and then the entire 2025-26 campaign. As Irving sat on the sidelines, he saw the Mavericks go from having title-contention aspirations to entering rebuild mode. That led to chatter about the nine-time All-Star’s future. The Mavericks now revolve around Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Irving doesn’t fit Flagg’s timeline, but it appears he isn’t going anywhere. As early as June, it was reported that the Mavericks did not want to trade the veteran guard. Several contenders expressed interest, but were rebuffed. ESPN’s Shams Charania would later add that Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont wants to see Irving and Flagg on the team next season. There is a belief within the organization that the former’s leadership will play a big role in the latter’s development. As May pointed out, Irving will set a great example to follow for the likes of Flagg and Morez Johnson Jr., the No. 9 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Rival teams continue to hope the Mavericks will change their stance on a trade, but they shouldn’t count on it. Dusty May Says Kyrie Irving’s Leadership Will Prove Invaluable To The Mavericks May had earlier compared Irving’s workout to watching Pablo Picasso paint a picture. He certainly has made a strong impression on the former Michigan head coach, who continued to wax lyrical here. “The thing with Kyrie, he has a solution for everything,” May said. “And typically when you’re speaking of a guy like this, you’re talking about someone that’s over the hill, and you’re wanting them to be more of a veteran leader and locker room presence. “Well, he’s also, when healthy, one of the best players currently in the league,” May continued. “… I mean when you look at the range of experiences he’s had from college through his championship years on to the Celtics, and with us… For someone to still be able to impact the day-to-day like he does and then also to have the leadership role that he’s going to have, it’s going to prove to be invaluable.” Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game in 2024-25. We still can’t say for certain what version of him the Mavericks will get in 2026-27, but there are reasons to be optimistic. Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. recently worked out with Irving and was stunned by how well he was moving. It’s not just the Mavericks talking about how great he is looking, which is a good sign.