Adversities continue to haunt the Dallas Mavericks in the 2025-26 season, as right after suffering Anthony Davis’ injury setback, they now face uncertainty around Kyrie Irving’s injury return. There were some positive murmurs around the 33-year-old recovery, who has been out since March 2025, ever since tearing his ACL. There was some optimism around a mid-February return for Kyrie Irving, but now it seems like things have slowed down once again.

According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks will have a meeting to discuss his injury timeline, with a possibility of postponing his return, with the focus on building up his durability following a major season-ending injury. His report also highlights that despite staying ahead of schedule, the 33-year-old guard hasn’t yet been cleared for practice despite his hopes of playing a part in the ongoing season.

Before this update, NBA Hall of Fame Reggie Miller suggested that Irving could return to action in the middle of next month, as it fits the one-year timeline generally required for ACL injuries. There was popular belief among the fans that the star guard could play a role in helping the Mavericks and their rookie star Cooper Flagg if they managed to get to the postseason. But now, if the report is to be believed, he may return next season, building up on the durability.

The Maveericks have already been plagued with injuries as Anthony Davis suffered a fractured hand, which completely spoiled their plans of trading him away. While they are still planning to carry on with that motive, his injury status only makes things extremely tough. They are planning a future where Kyrie Irving will lead the roster alongside Flagg, who has already taken immense responsibility in his rookie season and will only get better from here. Therefore, they are proceeding with great caution without any intention to rush him back to fitness.

Dallas Mavericks face uncertainty in Anthony Davis’ trade saga

The Dallas Mavericks and Anthony Davis were both looking at the trade window with a lot of interest. AD was looking to move to a team that would be ready to pay his extension, and he had a feeling that the Mavericks may not do so, considering his unavailability since joining the team.

However, his ligament injury completely ruined the plan. There’s still no clarity over his recovery as he could be out for the season if he decides to undergo surgery. However, he has recently debunked all the media reports suggesting that he should be ready before the ongoing season comes to an end.

According to recent rumors of NBA Insider Josh Lewenberg, the Toronto Raptors have shown a lot of interest in the big man. They “have held internal conversations about the pros and cons of trading for Davis,” although “their reported interest appears to be driven by Davis’s representation.” Anthony Davis’ agent, Rich Paul, believes moving away from Dallas is the best for his client.

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However, as per Tim MacMahon, the 10-time All-Star is happy to remain in Dallas for this season and eventually secure an extension before the start of the next campaign. The Mavericks have also toned down their urgency to get the 32-year-old traded before the trade deadline.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks have shown some resilience with a shorthanded roster as they are 12th in the Western Conference with a respectable 18-26 record. They have won the last three games on the bounce and are within touching distance of a play-in spot this season. So if AD somehow manages to return by postseason, then the Mavericks could be a more formidable team with Flagg already playing at an extremely high level.