Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison has spoken out about Kyrie Irving’s recovery from a torn ACL and claimed the point guard is already ahead of schedule.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Irving tore his ACL during a matchup against the Sacramento Kings in March, with the expectation being that he will miss the vast majority of the 2025-26 NBA regular season.
However, Harrison provided an encouraging update about Irving’s recovery to this point, claiming that he is “ahead of schedule” because of “the way he attacks his rehab.”
“He’s going two or three times a day. As much as he wants to rush it, we don’t want him to. But he’s going to be fine,” added Harrison, per Dallas Hoops Journal.
These claims reinforce the belief within the Mavericks organization that Irving could return to the court at some point in January, which would be an impressive recovery time of roughly nine months.
Although Harrison has claimed that he is ahead of schedule, both Irving and Head Coach Jason Kidd have urged patience during this long process.
Irving recently discussed his recovery and told fans not to expect him to return to the court next season, explaining that he is being cautious with his rehab to ensure a full recovery.
“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,” Irving said, as reported by DX.
Meanwhile, Kidd discussed Irving’s recovery and said the franchise fully understands that he “won’t be back until January, February, March,” once again emphasizing that this process can take longer than expected.
“I didn’t want to put a time limit on it, because I don’t want to be held to, ‘Well, you said January.’ But knowing [Kyrie], he’s going to try to come back soon,” he added, according to Dallas Hoops Journal.
Regardless of when he is available, the Mavericks will need Irving to be fully healthy to compete for an NBA Championship, as the franchise believes this team can win at the highest level in the coming years.
Dallas has undergone various changes to both the roster and coaching staff throughout this eventful offseason.
The most notable additions have come on the roster, with Dallas adding point guard D’Angelo Russell on a two-year contract while selecting forward Cooper Flagg first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft.
Both Russell and Flagg are expected to play major roles for the Mavericks in the coming season, as the team needs players who can create shots for themselves and their teammates.
Additionally, Dallas has undergone significant changes within the coaching staff, as multiple assistant coaches have pursued other opportunities while Kidd has brought in various new coaches with championship experience.
These additions should help the Mavericks compete for a championship next season. Still, the biggest factor will be whether Irving is fully recovered and ready to help the team during the postseason.