Kyrie Irving
The Dallas Mavericks finally saw a visible sign of progress with Kyrie Irving on Monday, when the veteran guard took part in team shootaround for the first time since his season-altering knee injury. Irving did not suit up, but his return to on-court work offered a rare moment of forward momentum for a franchise that has spent most of the year managing life without its offensive stabilizer.
Irving initially targeted a January return, yet Dallas has taken a cautious path. Even so, his involvement in shootaround signals progress for a team that has struggled to find footing without its veteran guard. According to Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal, there has been no indication Irving will be shut down for the remainder of the season, with expectations trending toward a return after the NBA All Star break, per Basket News.
That timeline aligns with conservative recovery benchmarks across the league. Irving tore his ACL on March 3, 2025, and the Mavericks’ first game after the All Star break falls on Feb. 20, 2026, just shy of the commonly referenced 12 month recovery window.
Rich Paul Explains What Changed in Kyrie’s Game
As Irving works his way back, longtime agent Rich Paul offered insight into why this version of Kyrie carries different weight for winning teams. Speaking on the Game Over Podcast, Paul contrasted Irving’s early career approach with the player Dallas now relies on.
“I think the Kyrie today does everything differently. His whole approach to everything is different,” Paul said. “He’s added the experience and the willingness to play a real floor game and just score the ball. He’s playing a real floor game. He showed it when they went to the finals.”
Paul also emphasized Irving’s ability to anchor success despite his size. “I think the Kyrie today does everything differently. He’s one of the smaller guards that can actually be the best player on your team and you can win,” he said.
The comments highlight a shift from flash to function, particularly when compared to Irving’s years alongside LeBron James. Paul framed today’s Irving as a player who values pace, spacing, and decision making, traits that translate more directly to postseason success.
Rich Paul speaks on Kyrie’s playstyle when he was younger vs now:
“I think the Kyrie [Irving] today does everything differently… [He’s] one of the smaller guards that can actually be the best player on your team and you can win”
(🎥 Game Over Podcast) pic.twitter.com/bafuA17h1g
— Kyrie Center (@kyriecenterig) January 13, 2026
Why Irving’s Return Still Matters for Dallas
When healthy last season, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists across 50 games with Dallas, earning his ninth All Star selection, per Newsweek. Before the injury, he played at a level that stabilized the Mavericks on both ends of the floor.
The contrast without him has been stark. Since March 4, 2025, the day after Irving went down, Dallas owns a 21 38 record. This season, the Mavericks sit 12th in the Western Conference at 15 25, outside the Play In picture.
Dallas entered the year hoping to stay afloat behind Anthony Davis and rookie Cooper Flagg. That plan has unraveled. Davis appeared in just 20 of the team’s 39 games and now faces months on the sideline following surgery for ligament damage in his left hand.
Irving’s eventual return will not instantly solve every issue, but his presence could restore structure to a drifting season. For a roster searching for direction, the evolved version of Kyrie Irving that Rich Paul described may still provide the clearest path toward late season stability.