It’s been nearly 11 months since Kyrie Irving last played. The last time he was on the floor was in March 2025, against the Sacramento Kings, when Irving tore the ACL in his left knee.
Since then, Irving has been sidelined following immediate surgery. Given the nature of an ACL injury, it typically takes significant time before a player can return to the court. Since the injury, there has been no clear timeline for his return. Fast-forward to the present, and Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has provided an update regarding his star guard’s status.
Kyrie Irving’s Return Remains Unclear
After undergoing successful surgery, Irving was initially expected to return in the second half of the 2025-26 season. It is now January, and he has shown no signs of returning soon. The most activity fans have seen came when he was spotted shooting with the coaching staff during a pregame warmup.
Unfortunately for Mavericks fans, that brief shootaround did not signal an imminent return. Kidd recently provided a key update regarding Irving’s recovery.
“At some point, there will be a timeline, but right now, there is no timeline,” Kidd said (per Marc Stein). “(Kyrie Irving) wants to get back; he wants to play. But when you’re coming back from an ACL, it’s a time thing.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd pregame tonight on Kyrie Irving’s comeback from March knee surgery:
“At some point there will be a timeline but right now there is no timeline. … He wants to get back, he wants to play. But when you’re coming back from an ACL, it’s a time thing.”
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 23, 2026
NBA insider Tim MacMahon also reported that the Mavericks could delay Irving’s return until next season. While it would be disappointing for Irving to miss the entire campaign, postponing his comeback may be the prudent decision.
At this point in the season, Dallas’ chances of making a deep playoff run appear slim. The Mavericks sit in 12th place with an 18-26 record. Even with a three-game winning streak, rushing Irving back to chase a Play-In Tournament spot could sacrifice valuable recovery time.
The Mavericks may make multiple moves this summer to better surround rookie Cooper Flagg. Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont reportedly wants to see Flagg, Irving, and Anthony Davis share the floor and evaluate that core before making big moves. To ensure that happens next season, the Mavericks could opt to sit Davis and Irving for the remainder of this season.
