DALLAS — Kyrie Irving is No. 39 in ESPN’s 2026 NBA Rank, a year after the list left him out while he recovered from a torn ACL. ESPN released players Nos. 50 through 11 on Wednesday morning.
The Dallas Mavericks guard was No. 25 in the 2024 edition. Teammate Cooper Flagg ranks 16 spots higher at No. 23, and ESPN reveals its top 10 on Thursday.
Seven ESPN panelists produced this year’s list, ranking players on projected contributions to the 2026-27 regular season. In past editions, more than 100 staffers across the network voted.
Bobby Marks wrote Irving’s entry. Marks pointed to Irving’s nine straight seasons averaging at least 20 points per game and wrote that a healthy Irving would help a Dallas offense that ranked 22nd in assists last season. The Mavericks were 29th in 3-pointers made.
Marks also wrote that Irving, with two years left on his contract, could become a trade candidate if Dallas is out of playoff contention by February. The Mavericks have told teams interested in Irving that they want to keep him alongside Flagg, sources told Dallas Sports Journal.
ESPN’s signature stat for Irving is his 2020-21 season, when he shot at least 50% from the field, 40% from 3-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line. He is one of three players in NBA history to reach those marks while taking at least 20 shots per game.
One spot behind Irving at No. 40 is Anthony Davis, whom Dallas traded to the Washington Wizards in February. According to ESPN, Davis has played in 29 games since late January 2025 and has yet to play for Washington because of a hand injury.
Kyrie Irving’s Recovery From A Torn ACL
Irving has not appeared in a game since March 3, 2025. That night, he tore the ACL in his left knee against the Sacramento Kings at American Airlines Center, and he had surgery on March 26. Dallas ruled him out for the 2025-26 season on Feb. 18.
Over 50 games in 2024-25, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. He shot 47.3% from the field, 40.1% from 3-point range, and 91.6% from the free-throw line.
Since the February 2023 trade that brought him to Dallas, Irving has averaged 25.5 points across 128 games. The Mavericks are 75-53 when he plays and 42-75 when he does not.
On Sept. 18, the Mavericks posted photos of Irving and Flagg working out together at the PLYRS UNTD Performance Center in Los Angeles.
Mavericks coach Dusty May said Irving has a solution for everything when the ball is not in his hands, in a Sept. 3 appearance on 105.3 The Fan.
“I’ve been a part of a couple workouts with Kyrie,” May said. “I’ve watched him work out on his own and I’ve watched him play pickup, and then I’ve gotten feedback from others that have watched him play recently, and I couldn’t be more excited to be on his team. I’ve been blown away.”
“We all know how talented Kyrie is with the ball in his hands,” May continued. “But to see his level of preparation, attention to detail, and IQ, it’s something that I’ve never seen at the level that he works at. And I can’t wait for him to share that with the rest of our group, especially the young core that we have.”
Kyrie Irving’s Contract And The Dallas Mavericks’ Schedule
Irving signed a three-year, $119 million contract on July 6, 2025, after declining a $43 million player option for the 2025-26 season. The deal carries a player option for 2027-28.
Irving turned 34 on March 23. The first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, he is a nine-time All-Star. ESPN’s fantasy projection has him at 24.6 points, 4.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Media day is Friday at 10 a.m. CT, and training camp practices begin Saturday. Dallas plays the Houston Rockets twice at The Venetian Arena in Macao, on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11, and opens the regular season Oct. 21 at Houston. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.
