According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has “fully recovered” from his left ACL injury.
Irving tore his left ACL on March 3, 2025. He missed last season but is ready to go for next season.
“My understanding is Kyrie Irving’s rehab has gone amazing,” Charania said on Stephen A. Smith’s podcast. “There was a sense during last season that, you know, if the Mavericks were playing at a very competitive level, like Kyrie Irving could have potentially come back in December, January, but given the way the season was going, it obviously didn’t make sense for the Mavericks either to rush Kyrie Irving back onto the floor.
“But from my understanding, he’s fully recovered, 100% with that ACL tear from a couple seasons ago. He’s been fully entrenched in the Mavericks’ plans this offseason. Him and Dusty May, they’ve spoken. Him and Masai Ujiri, the new president, they’ve spoken. Mike Schmitz, their new general manager, has spoken with Kyrie Irving as well.”
Several NBA contenders are interested in trading for Irving, but the Mavericks have made it known to interested teams that they want to keep Irving next to Cooper Flagg, sources told Dallas Hoops Journal. Irving and Flagg have a strong relationship, sources said.
Flagg, who won the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, received consistent, valuable mentorship from Irving last season even though Irving didn’t play, sources said.
Irving will make $39.5 million next season. The Mavericks acquired the All-Star from the Brooklyn Nets during the 2022-23 season. Irving and Luka Dončić led Dallas to the NBA Finals in 2024.
The Boston Celtics defeated the Mavericks in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals and then Nico Harrison stunningly traded Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in February 2025.
The 2011-12 Rookie of the Year, Irving enters next season with career averages of 23.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the regular season and 23.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in the playoffs. The Duke product turns 35 in March 2027.
