Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is back on the court, but his return has kept trade talks going. Irving is always at the center of trade talk in the NBA, but in a recent ESPN article by Tim McMahon, he made it clear he's not here to entertain the NBA media's rumor-mongering.

“This is all transparent here,” Irving said. “There's nothing that's off the table, nothing's hidden behind the scenes. We're not trying to sell stories to the media or anything. Any time you guys ask me, I'm going to tell you where we are and how I feel, but also keep in mind that we do have a young team. They're very impressionable. I'm not trying to bring any B.S. into the locker room — my name in the trade [rumor] mill or other guys in the trade [rumor] mill as well.

Irving added, “There's too much of that in this league. There's way too much of that, and it affects people's mental health. It affects people's day-to-day jobs. In order to get the best team possible that you want to see out there, we need everybody rowing in the same direction.”

Irving recently returned to the Mavericks lineup after 18 months out recovering from an ACL injury. He's played three games for the Mavericks this season and is averaging 19 points, 3.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.3 steals. Irving is reaffirming his commitment to the Mavericks, but understands that things can change in the business of the NBA.

Article Continues Below

“I wish it was under my control, but I think it's a collaborative effort here,” Irving said. “I'm mature enough to understand that … You see that there's a disparity in age [between Flagg and me]. Everybody likes to make a big deal out of it. … Every fair criticism that [has been] brought to this franchise is fair. I'm never going to shy away from that, either. But my focus is just continuing to develop, continuing to put my best foot forward with these guys. When we're out there on the court, just have fun. When we say have fun, we're trying to compete at the highest level. We're trying to win.”

The Mavericks return to action tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder.