Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is reportedly ahead of schedule in his recovery from a torn ACL that he suffered during the 2024-25 regular season.
A source recently spoke with Dallas Hoops Journal about Irving’s recovery process and said the nine-time NBA All-Star is “ahead of schedule,” though neither Irving nor the organization plans to rush him back to the court next season.
The 33-year-old is coming off one of the most impressive seasons of his career, averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists while shooting 47.3% from the field in 50 appearances.
However, this season was cut short when Irving suffered a torn ACL against the Sacramento Kings on March 3.
Irving underwent surgery to repair the torn ACL at the end of March, meaning the most likely timeline would be a return to the court at some point in either December or January. However, no specific date has been provided at this time.
While Irving could potentially return earlier, he has preached patience in the past and said he plans to follow the timeline that is best for his body.
“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,” he explained, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Although Irving is not expected to return to the court until the second half of the season, the Mavericks will still enter the 2025-26 season with high expectations.
Dallas will be led by power forward Anthony Davis, who is currently recovering from eye surgery, and rookie forward Cooper Flagg, who was selected by the team first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Davis is expected to miss the opening weeks of the regular season as he recovers from surgery. However, the expectation remains that the Mavericks make the playoffs and compete for a shot at the NBA Championship.
In addition to Irving, Davis, and Flagg, the Mavericks will rely heavily on guard D’Angelo Russell, forward P.J. Washington, and centers Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.
The Mavericks team is set to begin training camp next week, followed by the preseason, which will start with a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on October 6 at Dickies Arena. This will mark the first time the Fort Worth venue has hosted a Mavericks game, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.