As seen by the now-traded Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively, and probably most famously, Kyrie Irving, the Dallas Mavericks have not been healthy this season. After tearing his ACL in March of last year, there was some optimism that Irving would make a comeback this season, but according to his most recent injury report, he won’t play at all.
The Mavericks are shutting down Irving for the remainder of the season, according to NBA source Shams Charania of ESPN. It is now clear that he will miss the full season, despite suggestions that he would return sometime after the All-Star Break. He wrote on X:
“Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving will miss the season to allow himself additional time to fully heal from the torn ACL he suffered last March. Irving will make his return for the 2026–27 season,”
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving will miss the season to allow himself additional time to fully heal from the torn ACL he suffered last March. Irving will make his return for the 2026–27 season. pic.twitter.com/hfqAiRTPP4
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 18, 2026
Even though Irving was supposedly recovering from his injuries and planning to return this season, that may be completely disregarded. As a result, his future in Dallas is more uncertain because the aging and injured point guard doesn’t suit the new franchise star’s timeline after dealing Davis and looking forward to a future with youngster Cooper Flagg.
