The Dallas Mavericks have managed to put together another injury-laden season, the probability of which seemed low considering just how disastrous 2024-2025 was on the health front. Dereck Lively and Dante Exum are out for the season, having combined to play seven total games (all Lively). Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington have both experienced lower leg injuries resulting in multiple absences. Anthony Davis has been more injury prone than ever before. Then there is Kyrie Irving, nearing a full year since he sustained a March 3, 2025 ACL tear.
Rumors (a generous term) about Irving’s return began around the start of the new year, a by-product of irresponsible click-baiting and/or hopeful optimism, but now we have some meaningful commentary from someone who is actually close to the situation. Dwain Price wrote a piece for NBA.com wherein he collected some tidbits from Mavs’ head coach Jason Kidd.
“It will probably be after the All-Star break but there’s also other plans that could come into play here, too. Being able to get on the floor and play in an NBA game might be just a little bit different than practice.”
A post-All Star break return puts us about a month out from today for the soonest possible return to action. Should Irving get back on the floor before March, it would be an excellent recovery timeframe for the soon-to-be 34-year old.
Kidd does a good job of burying what may actually be the lede here, however. Is there a possibility Irving returns to practice, but not to games? Of course any player coming off this injury is going to have multiple test runs in practice scenarios to ensure no setbacks and to get themselves back into shape. Still, the phraseology used may be indicative of Irving having a longer than usual runway to return to game action, even after returning to practice.
“[The standings] has nothing to do with it… At some point there will be a timeline, but right now there is not a timeline… It’s about for him mentally and physically being able to play at the highest level in his mind, no one else’s.”
Taking Kidd at face value here, the Mavs making either a PlayIn push or taking a nosedive toward a better pick in the NBA Draft will have nothing to do with Irving’s return. This is good any way you cut it. If you are a fan of tanking toward the most beneficial pick this summer (the last pick the Mavs currently have exclusive control over until 2031), Irving being off the floor only helps that cause. If you’re a fan of seeing Irving paired with Cooper Flagg, waiting until he is 100% recovered is certainly the best option. There is nothing to rush back for.
Again though, there is another layer to the wordsmith onion here. The Mavs are clearly not throwing games, but rather making every effort to play hard and get wins. Irving would likely help in that effort, yet Dallas is allowing him to operate on his own level. The Mavs are going to play their games as though Irving is unavailable, and whenever he is good and ready, he will return to action (in some form) regardless of where the Mavs rank in the standings.
The situation surrounding Kyrie Irving remains intriguing. He seems to be a part of the long term plan in Dallas, but the Mavs also need to be thinking about finding his replacement in the upcoming draft stacked with elite guards. Irving’s continued absence will only help the Mavs odds in having a plethora of options in the draft, while time to fully heal will better the odds that Irving returns to his best post-injury form next season.
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