What happened: New Dallas Mavericks head coach Dusty May praised Kyrie Irving as one of the greatest point guards to ever play, saying he plans to lean on Irving's leadership, experience, and intelligence. May added that he can't wait to be around the veteran guard every day as he steps into his first NBA head-coaching job.

Why it matters: The public embrace signals that May intends to build his first Dallas team around Irving rather than treat him as a trade chip, even as offseason reports floated moving the guard. For a first-time NBA coach, aligning early with a respected veteran can set the locker-room tone heading into the 2026-27 season.

What to watch: Watch whether Dallas commits to Irving long-term this offseason or revisits trade interest, and how May structures the roster and rotation around him entering 2026-27.