The Mavericks announced Wednesday that Irving (knee) won't play this season while he continues to recover from the ACL reconstruction surgery he underwent March 26.
Dallas sits at 19-35 on the season coming out of the All-Star break and is pivoting toward a rebuild, so the news that Irving won't play in 2025-26 comes as little surprise, especially after head coach Jason Kidd had been vague on the veteran guard's status in recent weeks. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com, the Mavericks still have some optimism that Irving will be able to practice at some point before the end of the season, which will put him on track to be back to 100 percent well in advance of training camp next fall, when he would be 18 months removed from surgery. Irving will be entering the final year of his contract next season and holds a $42.42 million player option for 2027-28.
Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Unlikely to play before break
Rotowire
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Jan. 22 that Irving (knee) "probably" won't be ready to make his season debut until after the All-Star break, Dwain Price of the team's official site reports.
Irving has yet to resume practicing while he continues to work his way through the rehab process for a torn ACL in his left knee, which he had surgically repaired March 26. While he said that Irving had "no timeline" for a return, Kidd didn't provide many details regarding where the veteran point guard stands in his recovery beyond relaying that he's "in good spirits" and "feels great." Kidd also added that the 19-30 Mavericks' position in the standings won't dictate Irving's timeline, instead noting that Irving will be back in action once he's physically and mentally ready. If Irving is able to make a late-season return, he'll likely be subject to heavy restrictions with his minutes, and his presence would presumably result in star rookie Cooper Flagg seeing more time off the ball.
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