Just over one week before NBA training camps open, Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving’s rehab from the torn ACL that ended his 2024-25 season prematurely is progressing positively.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Irving said his rehab is going “incredibly well” and that he’s making sure to spend “a lot more” time on rest and recovery to avoid putting too much stress on the knee.
Irving tore his ACL on March 3 in the first quarter of the Mavs’ loss to the Sacramento Kings. He underwent surgery three weeks later.
Dallas showed a lot of confidence that Irving will be able to return and play at a high level by signing him to a three-year, $119 million extension in the offseason.
There hasn’t been a timeline given about Irving’s return to game action. It has been suggested he could be back sometime in January, though he has been reluctant to put any firm timeline on it.
The Mavs did add depth to their guard rotation in free agency to ensure their offense will still run effectively until Irving does return. They signed D’Angelo Russell and brought back Dante Exum to be their top two point guards at the start of the season.
It’s also been speculated that rookie Cooper Flagg could see time at point guard. The health of Irving and Anthony Davis will likely determine how far the Mavs go during the 2025-26 season.
The most important thing for the Mavericks during the upcoming season is the development of Flagg, but their playoff expectations are dependent on the star players around him being able to stay on the court.
Irving averaged 24.7 points and 4.6 assists per game in 50 starts last season.
Dallas will open training camp on Sept. 29 before tipping off the regular season on Oct. 22 against the San Antonio Spurs.
