Kyrie Irving's Injury Status For Mavericks' Preseason Games Against Rockets

Will Kyrie Irving be good to go for the Mavericks' preseason games in China?

Feb 21, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) looks on during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Mavericks will get their first taste of the 2026-27 season this week, as they start the preseason with two games against the Houston Rockets in Macao, China, on Friday and Sunday.

It will be our first glimpse of the new-look Mavs under new head coach Dusty May, who comes in after winning a national championship at Michigan last year.

One of the many things that Mavericks fans are looking forward to watching is the return of Kyrie Irving, who hasn't played in 18 months following a torn ACL in March 2025. With it being the preseason, though, there was a little uncertainty about whether he would play or not.

Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal received confirmation from ANTA, Irving's shoe brand, that Irving will, in fact, be playing in these games, as well as launching a few new colorways of his signature shoe.

ANTA's headquarters are based in China, and while Irving has a signature shoe model with them, he is also the Chief Creative Officer for the company.

ANTA has a flagship store in Macao, so this is a great opportunity for all sides. The NBA can grow its fanbase, the Mavericks and Rockets can attract new fans, and Kyrie Irving can hopefully expand his shoe brand to new customers.

These games will be played at the Venetian Arena, which is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corp., of which the Mavericks owners run.

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

How Much of Kyrie Irving Will We See?

While it will be great to see Kyrie Irving back on the floor, this is still the preseason, and the Mavericks may not push him too much now.

Dusty May is still figuring out what his options are for the starting lineup. Kyrie Irving will be in that lineup, but he still needs to build chemistry with the players around him. Max Christie has been here since the Luka Doncic trade in February 2025, but he and Irving have only played 11 games together.

The Mavericks have plenty of other new players, like Zaccharie Risacher, Santi Aldama, and Tarik Biberovic, and shooters have certain ways that they like to receive passes. That takes time to build, time that can only come in game action.

Still, Irving shouldn't play more than 20-24 minutes in a preseason game. Dusty May hasn't established any minutes restriction on Irving, even calling him 100%, but they also need to establish what they have at the end of their bench.

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