Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has warned that he may not return to the team in the upcoming season as he recovers from a torn ACL.
Irving was on a live stream over the weekend and discussed his recovery, urging fans to be realistic about the potential timeline for a return.
“Don’t hold your breath on that,” he said.
“It doesn’t mean that I won’t be back. It’s just, I don’t want to make any predictions on when I’m going to be back. I just want to be back 150,000% better. So I’m taking my time right now to really get healthy. I’m taking my time to really get my body right, other portions of my body right, and really just enjoy this recovery process.”
While Irving provided a realistic timeline for his eventual return, these statements are strikingly different from the reports coming from the Mavericks.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, officials from within the Mavericks are optimistic that Irving could return to the court in January 2026, which would be a roughly nine-month recovery from the injury.
While this timeline aligns with the average recovery time for a torn ACL, which is roughly nine to 12 months, many players remain cautious about returning to the court too soon.
This cautiousness is often amplified with smaller guards, who rely more on quickness and a change of direction when compared to taller players.
For context, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, who has a similar playstyle to Irving, spent over 18 months recovering from a torn ACL suffered in April 2021, with the guard not making his return until October 2022.
Although this extended timeline made it difficult for Denver to compete in the season Murray missed, it also allowed him to return fully healthy with a seamless transition back to the court.
The Mavericks would likely prefer that Irving return to the court at some point next season, but an extended recovery could be the best option for both the player and organization moving forward.