Kyrie Irving works out during Dallas practice
on paper, Dallas Mavericks looks to have a competitive roster in the Western Conference. With the arrival of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, that’s almost enough to erase the bad taste left by the Luka Doncic trade last season. But Mavericks fans will have to wait to see their team at full strength as Kyrie Irving continues his rehabilitation from a torn ACL suffered last season.
Even though Kyrie Irving is still out with an injury, he’s still there was an integral part Mavericks training camp and preseason coach Brandon Williams along with assistant coach Phil Handy during a recent practice, as noted by Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
With Irving in the lineup, the Mavericks’ ceiling becomes much higher. Irving suffered an ACL injury in March and was sidelined for the remainder of the season. The Mavericks eventually rallied to make the playoffs, defeating the Sacramento Kings in the first round before falling to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Irving currently has no specific timetable for his return, and at the start of training camp, the Mavericks’ head coach Jason Kidd criticized the erroneous report that suggested Irving was ahead of schedule in his recovery.
The nine-time All-Star was originally acquired by the Mavericks at the trade deadline during the 2022-23 season. Although the team failed to make the playoffs upon his arrival, Irving played a major role during the Mavericks’ 2023-24 run to the NBA Finals.
Before his injury last season, Irving appeared in 50 games for the Mavericks, averaging just over 36 minutes per game. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 47.3 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from the three-point line and 91.6 percent from the free throw line.
The Mavericks will open the 2025-26 season on Wednesday, October 22 at home against the San Antonio Spurs.
David Iapkowitz is a basketball reporter for ClutchPoints, covering men’s and women’s NBA, WNBA and NCAA basketball news. The Los Angeles native has op-eds with Basketball Insiders, SB Nation and The Next Hoops.
2025-10-18 20:17:00
