Dusty May Clarifies Kyrie Irving's Availability For Mavericks-Rockets Preseason Games

Dallas Mavericks star guard Kyrie Irving has been cleared to return to the hardwood following his ACL injury in March 2025, and with the Mavs about to start the preseason, fans are excited to see him on the court.

Just because he's cleared doesn't mean he'll play, though.

New Mavericks coach Dusty May was asked about Irving's availability this weekend and said that Irving will only play in one of the two games in China, though he hasn't decided which one yet.

While some fans were disappointed by this news, it makes the most sense. While two games in three days will be the norm once the regular season starts, there's no reason to push Irving in his return.

Dusty May says the Mavs will have a “limited roster” of players tomorrow. He says Kyrie Irving will only play in one of the two games here in Macau. Which game is TBD. pic.twitter.com/KCWmQFkotx
— Christian Clark (@christianpclark) October 8, 2026

Ideally, just for watchability, the Mavericks play him in Friday's game, which is at a more reasonable 7 a.m. CST compared to Sunday's 5 a.m. CST tip. We may not know until closer to tomorrow's tip on whether or not Irving will play, though.

Kyrie Irving was looking forward to showing the connection that he and star teenager Cooper Flagg have on the court together, but we'll only get the chance to see it once in Macao of the two games that they have scheduled against the Houston Rockets.

We'll still get one opportunity to see him this weekend, but we'll have to see what that game is.

Sep 25, 2026; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) poses for a photo during the Mavericks media day at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Other Mavericks Dealing With Injuries

Dusty May also said the Mavericks will have a "limited roster" as guys are still recovering from injuries, but he wouldn't get too far into the specifics.

Dereck Lively II will certainly be out as he continues to recover from foot surgery in December. There hasn't been any timeline revealed on his return, but he'll almost assuredly be out for the start of the season.

Santi Aldama had a knee procedure in March, and while he's mostly been available, it wouldn't be surprising if they sat him for these games to not risk further injury.

9th overall pick Morez Johnson Jr. has been dealing with some lower leg soreness that may be rooted in a calf strain in the Summer League. He has been seen with compression around his calf and was a little limited in training camp.

While Mavericks fans would like to see how he's integrating into the roster, we may have to wait until he's fully healthy, because the NBA is not playing around with calf injuries given the recent spike in Achilles tears.

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