Mavericks Make Official Decision on Kyrie Irving's Return From Torn ACL

Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March of 2025 and has not suited up for the Mavericks this season as he continues to recover. Based on standard recovery timelines for the injury it seemed possible Irving could return sometime this season to take the court alongside Cooper Flagg. Coach Jason Kidd even expressed hope Irving could be back by the end of 2025, which obviously did not come to fruition. On Wednesday, Dallas made an official decision on Irving’s return.

The team announced the All-Star guard will not be playing in 2025–26. Instead he’ll remain focused on his recovery and will stay “actively engaged” with the Mavs through the end of the year. The announcement additionally notes Irving’s made “steady progress” in his rehab process.

“The Dallas Mavericks announced today that guard Kyrie Irving will not return to play during the 2025–26 NBA season as he continues his recovery from ACL reconstruction surgery performed in 2025,” the statement read. “Irving has made steady progress in rehabilitation and will remain actively engaged through the remainder of the season.”

Irving gave a statement on the decision as part of the announcement.

“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving said. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.

“And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there whove torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!”

Additionally, Irving’s agent Shetellia Riley Irving gave a statement to ESPN regarding the matter.

“This is about Kyrie being 1000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season,” she told Shams Charnania.

A lot has transpired since Irving last took the court. He was once touted as a cornerstone of Nico Harrison’s championship vision, an ideal complement to Anthony Davis after he was acquired in the Luka Dončić trade. However, Irving and Davis both got hurt down the stretch of last season, which led to the Mavericks landing Cooper Flagg in the draft. Harrison was then fired earlier this season; that cleared the runway for Davis to get traded at the deadline in February. Exiting the All-Star break Dallas holds a 19–35 record and seems lottery-bound once more.

The circumstances of the Mavs’ season meant there was no pressure for Irving to return. The soon-to-be 34-year-old can definitely help win games with his electric scoring abilities but Dallas is more focused on developing the roster’s young talent than climbing the standings this year. Furthermore, Irving’s ACL tear is the third significant knee injury he’s suffered in his career. If the Mavericks aren’t pushing for the playoffs, why not give Irving an extra six months to recuperate and ensure he’s as close to peak form physically as possible at the beginning of next year?

It’s a bummer for the fans because Irving is among the true box-office talents in the NBA, a wizard with the ball who can and will score from every angle you can imagine (and some you can’t). But it’s the right move. Not just for Irving, but for the new centerpiece of the Mavericks’ franchise, too.

Kyrie Irving’s injury absence clears way for Cooper Flagg’s development

Flagg entered the NBA this season as one of the most-hyped prospects ever but simultaneously in obvious need of seasoning. The young Dallas star only turned 19 in December. His talent is obvious every night on the court but so, too, is his youth. Once the franchise fired Harrison every move the Mavericks made was to give Flagg as much room to grow as possible. It’s going pretty well so far, too! Flagg is a top Rookie of the Year candidate, scoring 20.4 points per game to go with 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists a night.

The Irving decision was undoubtedly made through a similar lens. The priority is the star scorer’s health, of course. But his continued absence means the runway is completely clear for Flagg to continue his development. He won’t have to worry about acclimating to a superstar teammate and coach Jason Kidd won’t have to dedicate any resources to helping Irving get back up to speed. Irving’s presence would have been helpful in other ways to the star rookie, to be sure. But this decision hammers home (again) that the present and future in Dallas is all about Flagg.

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