Kyrie Irving has been a Maverick since the February 2023 trade from Brooklyn. Here is a comprehensive look at how the partnership has worked.
Combined stats since the pairing (source: Basketball Reference):
- When both play: Mavs are +6.2 per 100 possessions
- When only Luka plays: +3.1 per 100
- When only Kyrie plays: +1.4 per 100
- When neither plays: -8.9 per 100
The on/off data is clear: the pairing makes both players better.
Kyrie's individual Dallas stats:
- 25.8 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.8 RPG across 2.5+ seasons
- 49.3% FG, 41.2% 3PT, 89.1% FT
- True Shooting: 62.4% — his most efficient stretch since Cleveland
The fit, explained: Luka generates the most attention of any ballhandler in the NBA. When defenses collapse on his drives, Kyrie is the ideal release valve because he can score from anywhere on the court off the catch. Kyrie's catch-and-shoot percentage from three since joining Dallas is 44.2% per NBA.com tracking stats.
Additionally, when Luka rests, Kyrie can run the offense as a primary creator. This is critical because Luka's on/off differential tells you the team collapses without playmaking — Kyrie prevents that collapse.
The concerns:
- Kyrie turns 34 in March 2026. Age decline is real for guards.
- His defensive effort remains inconsistent. DRAPTOR rates him as -0.9 on defense.
- The injury history is real: he has played 65+ games in a season only twice in his career.
Sources:
- Basketball Reference — counting and advanced stats
- NBA.com — tracking data
- Cleaning the Glass — on/off splits
- FiveThirtyEight — RAPTOR ratings
Kyrie\'s catch-and-shoot at 44.2% is ridiculous. He is basically a cheat code when Luka draws the double and kicks it out. That efficiency is historically good.