Kyrie Irving, Mavericks
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Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks reacts during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Dallas Mavericks don’t plan to have Kyrie Irving back at all during the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Since last year, Irving has been recovering from a torn ACL. While initial reports suggested that Irving would be back around the midway mark for the Mavericks this season, it was revealed last week that Irving will spend the rest of the season rehabbing.
The decision doesn’t seem to stem from the Mavs believing that Irving suffered a setback. Instead, the Mavs’ standing within the Western Conference likely plays a major part.
The Mavericks are 20-36 on February 24. They are sitting 12th in the Western Conference.
Kyrie Irving
GettyKyrie Irving is making positive strides in his ACL recovery with the Dallas Mavericks.
Kyrie Irving Gets A Positive Update
Amid a lousy season for the Mavericks, the fanbase can feel somewhat optimistic based on the latest update surrounding the veteran guard.
NBA Insider Marc Stein reports that Irving is expected to return to a full-speed practice sometime soon.
via The Stein Line: “League sources say that Dallas is hopeful Kyrie Irving will return to a full-speed practice or two at some point during the final six weeks of the regular season even though Irving has been ruled out from playing in an actual game again before next season.”
It’s not the update the Mavericks’ fan base wants to hear, but at least Irving is making progress, and has done so without experiencing any unexpected setbacks throughout his recovery process.
Kyrie Irving injury update, Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Davis
GettyAnthony Davis and Kyrie Irving spent a short period of time as teammates on the Dallas Mavericks. The duo was split in early February, ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Where Do The Mavericks Go From Here?
Heading into the 2025-2026 season, the Mavericks were still under fire for parting ways with Luka Doncic. Still, they were expected to remain competitive, hoping to see the trio of Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, and Irving get to work.
Instead, the season took a sharp turn in a different direction. Davis experienced multiple injuries throughout the year. As he missed chunks of games, Davis was viewed as a trad candidate. At the deadline, the Mavs moved him to the Washington Wizards.
Flagg is thriving, but he caught the injury bug as well. The idea of a 33-year-old Irving rushing back from an ACL tear to play for a team outside of the postseason picture doesn’t make much sense. The Mavericks are likely to begin thinking about the 2025-2026 NBA season.
Irving will be around, barring any unexpected moves in the offseason. He is set to make $33.4 million for the year. In 2028, Irving will have to decide on a $42.4 million player option. His decision will likely depend on the Mavericks’ chances of landing a contender status by then.
Next season, Irving should be a major boost for Flagg, who had to run some point guard himself as a rookie. During his last run, Irving averaged 24.7 points (47 percent shooting from the field, and 40 percent from three), while dishing out 4.6 assists per game, and 4.8 rebounds per game.