As the Dallas Mavericks took on the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night in the NBA, one notable absence in the Mavs squad was star small forward Kyrie Irving. Irving is recovering from an ACL injury he picked up in March 2025, and his recovery is not yet complete.
Irving injured his ACL in the previous season during a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, earlier this year. He has not featured for the Mavericks since. Irving’s ACL injury is serious, and he is expected to require nine to 12 months of recovery before he can return.
According to reports, Irving is expected to return in early 2026 or late 2025. But it is not certain, yet.
Irving’s absence continues to be a huge blow for the Mavericks, who traded their superstar Nikola Jokic to the Los Angeles Lakers this season. They are dependent on either playing D’Angelo Russel or rookie Cooper Flagg to lead the offense until Irving returns.
When Will Kyrie Irving Return?
Despite some reports stating that Kyrie Irving could return sometime in 2024, there is still no clear timeline on the Mavericks’ No. 1 forward. Irving has been active on the streaming website Twitch as he recovers from the long-term injury. In one such stream he revealed that “there’s no timetable” for his return.
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“There’s no timetable for when I’m coming back, so please don’t ask me when I’m coming back,” he had said. “Please don’t badger me with all the questions like, ‘Hey, if you’re healthy by November, what do you think about it?’ Please don’t badger me with any questions, guys. I’m going to be ready when I’m ready.
Then, back in July, head coach Jason Kidd said that his recovery is “on schedule,” though it was not specified exactly when he could be back. Meanwhile, Mavs GM Nico Harrison had said that the team does not want to rush his return.
“Kyrie’s ahead of schedule, but we kind of knew he would be,” he said. “But we don’t want him to rush it as much as he wants to rush it.”
