The Dallas Mavericks just can’t seem to catch a break when it comes to injuries, and the 2025-26 season is shaping up to be another uphill battle on the health front. After last year’s brutal run of setbacks, this season was supposed to offer a fresh start. Instead, it’s been more of the same.
Dereck Lively II and Dante Exum are both done for the year-Lively managed to get in seven games before going down, while Exum never suited up. Daniel Gafford and P.J.
Washington have each dealt with lower leg injuries that have kept them in and out of the lineup. And then there’s Anthony Davis, whose injury history continues to grow longer and more frustrating.
But perhaps the most significant absence continues to be Kyrie Irving, who’s nearing the one-year mark since tearing his ACL on March 3, 2025.
There’s been plenty of noise about Irving’s potential return in recent weeks-some of it hopeful, some of it speculative-but now we’re finally hearing something grounded. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd offered a more realistic update, giving fans a better sense of where things actually stand.
“It will probably be after the All-Star break,” Kidd said. “But there’s also other plans that could come into play here, too. Being able to get on the floor and play in an NBA game might be just a little bit different than practice.”
That’s a pretty measured take from Kidd, and it lines up with what we know about ACL recovery timelines. A post-All-Star break return would be a solid outcome for Irving, who turns 34 soon. If he’s able to get back on the court before March, that would represent a strong recovery pace-especially for a player who relies so heavily on shiftiness, touch, and change of pace.
But Kidd’s comments also hint at a more cautious approach. Yes, Irving might return to practice soon.
That’s a necessary step. But game action?
That could still be a ways off. Kidd’s phrasing suggests the Mavericks are in no rush-and that’s probably the right call.
“[The standings] has nothing to do with it,” Kidd added. “At some point there will be a timeline, but right now there is not a timeline. It’s about for him mentally and physically being able to play at the highest level in his mind, no one else’s.”
That’s a telling quote. It’s not about where the Mavericks are in the standings.
It’s not about pushing for the Play-In or tanking for draft position. It’s about Kyrie Irving being fully ready-physically and mentally-before he steps back on the court.
And that’s a win-win, no matter how you look at it. If you’re in the camp that wants Dallas to chase the best possible pick in this summer’s draft-especially considering it’s the last first-rounder they fully control until 2031-then Irving staying on the sidelines only helps. If you’re hoping to see a fully healthy Irving back next season, potentially alongside a top-tier prospect like Cooper Flagg, then letting him take all the time he needs is the smart play.
What’s also clear is that the Mavericks aren’t mailing it in. They’re competing.
They’re playing hard. But they’re also operating as if Irving’s return is a bonus-not a necessity.
That’s an important distinction. The team isn’t building its identity around waiting for Kyrie to save the season.
They’re letting him recover on his own timeline, and when he’s ready, they’ll welcome him back-regardless of where they are in the standings.
Long-term, Irving still seems to be part of the Mavericks’ vision. But with a loaded draft class featuring several elite guard prospects, Dallas has to be thinking about the future at that position.
Irving’s continued absence could end up giving them a better shot at finding his eventual successor. And if he returns next season fully healthy, the Mavericks could have the best of both worlds: a dynamic veteran playmaker and a young guard to groom behind him.
For now, the Kyrie watch continues. But unlike the speculative noise that’s surrounded his name in recent weeks, this update from Kidd gives us something real to work with. The Mavericks are playing the long game-and for a franchise that’s been snakebitten by injuries, that’s a smart move.