Kyrie Irving ACL Recovery Means No Play This Season For Dallas Mavericks

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Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will stay out for the entire 2025-26 NBA season as recovery from ACL surgery continues, with the franchise confirming Irving is not expected back on court until the 2026-27 campaign, a major setback for a team already sliding down the Western Conference standings.

The decision removes any remaining doubt about a late-season comeback push, leaving Dallas to navigate the rest of the schedule without a nine-time All-Star, while the Mavericks sit 12th in the West at 19-35 after a nine-game losing run that has severely damaged any realistic playoff hopes.

Irving has not played since tearing the ACL in the left knee on 3 March 2025, during a 122-98 defeat to the Sacramento Kings, and the surgery later that year meant any return for the current season always depended on medical clearance and long-term planning from both player and organisation.

Before the injury halted the 2024-25 campaign, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists across 50 games, numbers that underlined Irving’s central role in the Mavericks offence and highlighted what Dallas loses by choosing to prioritise a full rehabilitation rather than accelerating a comeback.

"This decision wasn't easy, but it's the right one," Irving said in a statement. "I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows. And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who've torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!"

Dallas reached the 2024 NBA Finals with Irving and Luka Doncic leading the way, yet the roster has been reshaped since that run, starting with Doncic being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last February for Anthony Davis in a deal that dramatically altered expectations.

Davis, who carried a history of injuries, managed only 29 appearances for the Mavericks before another move saw Davis sent to the Washington Wizards two weeks ago, leaving Irving as the notional centrepiece of a squad now built around younger players and short-term contracts.

One positive moment arrived in the 2025 draft lottery when Dallas landed the first overall pick and selected Cooper Flagg, but Flagg has struggled to change results on a depleted roster, and without Irving available until 2026-27, the Mavericks face an extended rebuilding phase while monitoring how the core pieces develop.

For now, the franchise, Irving and supporters must accept a longer recovery path, with medical staff focusing on full ACL rehabilitation rather than short-term fixes, while the organisation evaluates how Irving’s eventual return in 2026-27 can fit alongside Flagg and any further roster moves aimed at returning Dallas to contention.