Kyrie Irving reveals final injury decision amid Mavericks' struggling season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Dallas Mavericks have had an up-and-down year.
Following the NBA Draft, fans were excited to see a possible trio of Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and of course Cooper Flagg.
However, things could not have gone any different through the first half of the 2025-26 season.
Davis was traded to the Washington Wizards while injured and Cooper Flagg picked up a foot injury right before the All-Star break.
As a result, the Mavericks sit 12th in the Western Conference with a 19-35 record.
Due to their current position and their struggles this season, Kyrie Irving has decided against returning from a torn ACL this year, first reported Wednesday by NBA insider Shams Charania.
While Irving is an impact player when healthy, he's dealt with plenty of injuries throughout his career. Since joining the Mavericks, Irving has been unable to suit up for at least 60 games in his first two full seasons with the team, not to mention this season, as Irving is now confirmed to miss the entire year.
But, this will allow Irving more time to heal and enter the 2026-27 season fully healthy. While this may not be what Mavericks fans were hoping for at the beginning of the year, it makes sense to approach Irving's return with caution, especially considering that Dallas is all but out of the playoff picture.
Not only that, but Irving's absence will give the Mavericks a chance to land another top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft later this summer.
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