Kyrie Irving is expected to be on the floor Friday night when the Dallas Mavericks host the Utah Jazz, even after landing on the injury report with an illness.
Irving was listed as probable, and the expectation is that he will suit up against Utah. He has been dealing with the illness, but it is not expected to keep him out for the game.
That’s a welcome development for Dallas, which has already had Irving miss two games this season because of injury management. He’s back in the Mavericks’ lineup after sitting out all of the 2025-26 season while recovering from an ACL injury.
Through six games this season, Irving has logged a little over 29 minutes per contest and has produced 22.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He’s shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 38.2 percent from 3-point range and 90.5 percent from the free-throw line.
The nine-time All-Star is coming off a strong night against the San Antonio Spurs, even in a loss. He scored 29 points and added seven rebounds, five assists and one steal in a little over 36 minutes. Irving went 9-of-27 from the field, 5-of-13 from deep and 6-of-8 at the line.
So the short answer to whether Kyrie Irving is playing tonight: most likely yes.
Dallas also listed Santi Aldama as probable with right knee surgery, Tarik Biberovic as out with right heel bursitis, Max Christie as probable with right hip soreness/tightness, Sergio de Larrea as out with a right knee sprain, Dereck Lively II as out following right foot surgery and Caleb Martin as available with a right thumb sprint.
On the other side, Trey Alexander is out on a G League Two-Way, Harrison Ingram is out on a G League Two-Way, Jaren Jackson Jr. is out with a right MCL tear and Jusuf Nurkic is out with a right 2nd plantar plate tear.
In Other News...
Mavericks May Finally Get The Frontcourt Fix Theyve Been Missing
The Mavericks are getting closer to a healthier frontcourt mix ahead of their matchup with the Jazz, with Santi Aldama upgraded to probable after working back from knee surgery in March. Max Christie is also listed as probable after sitting out the previous game with hip soreness, while Dallas still has other players unavailable as it continues to manage a thin rotation.
Aldamas return is the part that stands out most for Dallas, because his presence should help with the kind of frontcourt shooting and offensive spacing the team has been missing. The Mavericks have been looking for more balance around the basket and beyond the arc, and getting Aldama back in the fold could give them a different look when they need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Mavericks Are Staying In The Race Before Their Roster Gets Whole
The Mavericks have managed to keep pace early, opening the season 4-3 even while leaning through some injury-related absences. For a team still waiting to get its roster closer to whole, that kind of start matters, especially with the frontcourt and perimeter both set to get some help once the injured pieces begin filtering back in.
Santi Aldama is expected to return soon, and his shooting and versatility should give Dallas a useful boost up front. Tarik Biberovic also looms as a potential answer on the wing as a sharpshooter who could help address the teams three-point shooting, while Dereck Lively II remains sidelined after foot surgery with no immediate return date, leaving the Mavericks to keep piecing things together for now. [Read more 🡒]
Daniel Gafford Is Making Dallas Next Trade Call Much Tougher
The Mavericks roster math is getting harder to ignore. Dallas has plenty of wing and frontcourt options, but the backcourt behind Kyrie Irving still looks thin, and that imbalance has pushed the front office toward the kind of trade talk that usually comes with a difficult sacrifice. Daniel Gafford has emerged as one of the more logical names to circle because he can help bring back the shot creation and guard depth the team needs.
The complication is that Gafford has played well enough to make moving him a real gamble. His recent improvement has only strengthened his value to Dallas, while the availability of other big men on the roster remains uncertain enough to make the center spot feel less secure than it did a few weeks ago. For a team trying to sharpen its playoff rotation, that leaves the Mavericks weighing whether fixing one weakness is worth creating another. [Read more 🡒]