The Mavericks announced Wednesday that Irving (knee) won't play this season while he continues to recover from the ACL reconstruction surgery he underwent March 26.

EDGE Analysis

Dallas sits at 19-35 on the season coming out of the All-Star break and is pivoting toward a rebuild, so the news that Irving won't play in 2025-26 comes as little surprise, especially after head coach Jason Kidd had been vague on the veteran guard's status in recent weeks. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com, the Mavericks still have some optimism that Irving will be able to practice at some point before the end of the season, which will put him on track to be back to 100 percent well in advance of training camp next fall, when he would be 18 months removed from surgery. Irving will be entering the final year of his contract next season and holds a $42.42 million player option for 2027-28.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said Jan. 22 that Irving (knee) "probably" won't be ready to make his season debut until after the All-Star break, Dwain Price of the team's official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Irving has yet to resume practicing while he continues to work his way through the rehab process for a torn ACL in his left knee, which he had surgically repaired March 26. While he said that Irving had "no timeline" for a return, Kidd didn't provide many details regarding where the veteran point guard stands in his recovery beyond relaying that he's "in good spirits" and "feels great." Kidd also added that the 19-30 Mavericks' position in the standings won't dictate Irving's timeline, instead noting that Irving will be back in action once he's physically and mentally ready. If Irving is able to make a late-season return, he'll likely be subject to heavy restrictions with his minutes, and his presence would presumably result in star rookie Cooper Flagg seeing more time off the ball.

Irving (knee) remains out indefinitely and doesn't have a return timetable, Mavericks reporter Grant Afseth said during an appearance on HoopsHype's podcast 'Around the Beat' on Friday.

EDGE Analysis

Irving tore the ACL in his left knee at the beginning of March, ending his 2024-25 campaign, but after undergoing surgery, the Mavericks said they were optimistic their superstar guard would return to action before 2026, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Before training camp this season, there was another positive update about Irving's recovery, with Ashish Mathur of the Dallas Hoops Journal reporting that the veteran was ahead of schedule in his recovery. However, a few days later, head coach Jason Kidd pumped the brakes, saying Irving is doing "quite well" but added that declaring he was "ahead of schedule is not fair," per Christian Clark of The Athletic. It's clear that Irving and the Mavericks don't want to pick a target date until they are absolutely certain he's ready for game action, but Afseth notes that the vibe around the organization is that Irving could return before the mid-February All-Star break. "I've personally liked, from my understanding of the situation, have long held the thought that there's optimism of a pre-All-Star break return. But that's not ever been like super like that's happening, there hasn't been a set guarantee like anything of that nature," Afseth concluded. NBA insider Marc J. Spears also relayed a promising update on Irving in mid-November, "Kyrie's looking good. He's ahead of schedule," Spears said. "He's working out with the purpose of playing this season, which I'm sure Mavs fans are glad to hear. I think, optimistic-wise, around late January, All-Star break. Someone close to him told me that if it was the playoffs, he could play right now. That's how ahead of schedule he is." Despite all the optimism, fantasy managers will be left in the dark for at least a few more weeks before we learn anything definitive. Irving has been spotted doing light, individual drills at recent practices and is spending a lot of time mentoring Cooper Flagg.

At Media Day on Monday, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd refuted the report that Irving (knee) is ahead of schedule in his recovery, Christian Clark reports.

EDGE Analysis

Irving tore his left ACL on March 3, and while Kidd said he's doing "quite well," he added that the Mavericks aren't ready to put a timeline on his return. Kidd said that Irving is "on schedule" rather than ahead of it, and it sounds like fantasy managers shouldn't expect to see him until January at the earliest based on previous reports.

Irving (knee) is ahead of schedule in his left ACL recovery, Ashish Mathur of the Dallas Hoops Journal reports.

EDGE Analysis

Irving tore his left ACL on March 3 against the Sacramento Kings, and a timetable for his recovery was never established. There have been rumors about a return shortly after the new year, and this report makes those sound like a reality. The Mavericks won't rush him back, however, and they brought in D'Angelo Russell and Dante Exum to fill in for the superstar in the meantime. More clarity on Irving's status will likely be revealed during Dallas' Media Day.

Irving (knee) is declining his $43 million player option and intends to sign a three-year, $119 million deal with the Mavericks, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Irving was long expected to stay with the Mavericks, and he's now set to sign a multi-year extension that includes a player option for the 2027-28 season. The point guard tore the ACL in his left knee March 3 and isn't expected to return to game action until January 2026, though a firmer timeline should emerge in the fall. Prior to the injury, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc over 50 regular-season games.

The Mavericks are optimistic that Irving (knee) could return by the start of January, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

Irving tore his left ACL in early March and underwent surgery on the injury. While he's still expected to miss a significant chunk of the 2025-2026 campaign, there's optimism he could be back on the court before the calendar flips to 2026. Of course, it's very early in his recovery, and he'll have to avoid setbacks throughout the summer and fall in order to remain on schedule. However, Charania's report is a good sign for Irving's fantasy value next season.

Irving (knee) suffered a torn ACL during Monday's loss to the Kings, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.

EDGE Analysis

This is a devastating injury for the 32-year-old guard, who was attempting to will the Mavericks to the postseason following the trade of Luka Doncic and subsequent injury to Anthony Davis (thigh). For the remainder of this season, guards like Spencer Dinwiddie, Max Christie, Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy (ankle) will presumably take on more usage. However, this is an injury that will extend into next season and will most likely keep Irving out until around the 2026 New Year.

Irving won't return to Monday's matchup against the Kings due to a sprained left knee, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Irving was unable to walk off the court under his own power after sustaining the left knee injury on a drive to the basket. He finished the game with seven points (2-4 FG, 3-3 FT), one rebound and one assist before exiting to the locker room in the first quarter. The superstar will likely undergo further testing before Wednesday's game against the Bucks, and with Irving sidelined for the remainder of Monday's game at the very least, Jaden Hardy and Spencer Dinwiddie are candidates to see a bump in minutes.

Irving exited to the locker room after sustaining an apparent left knee injury during the first quarter of Monday's game against the Kings, Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Irving appeared to injure his left knee while driving to the basket, and he stayed down for an extended period with teammates and medical staff surrounding him. The superstar was unable to walk off the court under his own power, though he stayed in the game to shoot two from the charity stripe before the medical staff came back out and helped him to the locker room. Jaden Hardy and Spencer Dinwiddie are candidates for an uptick in playing time if Irving is unable to return.