Any remaining hope of a late-season return from Kyrie Irving has effectively been shut down, and this time, the message came straight from the source. The Dallas Mavericks opened the 2025–26 campaign, refusing to provide any concrete timeline for Irving’s recovery. Months later, that silence has turned into something far more ominous. Irving remains sidelined, Anthony Davis has since been traded to the Washington Wizards, and Dallas has plummeted toward the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

What was once framed as patience has now morphed into resignation. With Davis no longer in the picture, the Mavericks had quietly doubled down on the idea that Irving would eventually anchor the locker room around rookie centerpiece Cooper Flagg. The franchise still views Flagg as the long-term foundation, but a steadying veteran presence – particularly that of a 2016 NBA champion – was supposed to bridge the gap between rebuilding and relevance.

That bridge, however, may not materialize this season. According to Irving himself, a return will not come simply because he feels “100 percent.” “[Recovery] is going well, and whenever I’m a hundred and fifty percent healthy, I’ll be back,” Irving said in an interview. “I want to be better than I was, so that’s saying a lot. It’s a big hill to climb, but it’s worth it.”

Irving has remained tight-lipped about his return to NBA action. The most substantial updates have come from Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who expressed hope in November that Irving would return this season rather than next. Since then, however, Kidd has tempered his optimism.

Recovering from an ACL injury extends beyond the physical realm. A successful return to basketball demands equal attention to the mental aspects and adjustment process.

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Even if Irving has reached the final stages of his recovery, reintegrating him into the lineup at this juncture could prove counterproductive and potentially unwise.

Rival executives suggest shutting down Kyrie Irving’s return until next season

Next month will mark one year since Irving tore his ACL – a milestone that stresses just how turbulent this past season has been for Dallas. Since his injury, the franchise has undergone significant change. AD was dealt to Washington after playing just 29 games with the Mavs, and in his absence, rookie Cooper Flagg has been asked to steady a team that reached the NBA Finals just two years ago.

At first, there were flashes of resilience. A four-game winning streak in January briefly suggested the Mavericks might find their footing. But that optimism faded quickly. Dallas now sits at 19–35 after dropping its last nine games. With the losses piling up, the reality has become increasingly clear: chasing a late-season surge may not only be unrealistic, but it could also actively work against the franchise’s long-term interests.

That larger picture matters. As part of the AD trade, the Mavericks acquired a first-round pick from the OKC Thunder. Combined with their current record, Dallas is positioned among the teams near the top of the draft lottery. In that context, every win carries unintended consequences.

According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, several league executives believe the prudent move would be to prioritize the future over a rushed return.

“Irving remains a key part of the Mavs’ plans, but it is uncertain if he will play at all this season. The popular opinion of rival executives is that the Mavs, who are seventh in the lottery standings with a 19-34 record, would be wise to put Irving’s return on hold until training camp, even if he’s cleared to return this season,” McMahon wrote.

The Mavs have 2026 and the 2027 draft to make the most from, if they need any hope for their future. Their first-round pick (if 1-2) goes to the Charlotte Hornets, which means they will have a higher chance of keeping it.

The best possible scenario for the Mavs is to tank this season. With two first-round picks in the lottery, they could try to build around their young stars, with a veteran voice like Irving helping in their transition.

The idea wouldn’t be unprecedented. The San Antonio Spurs famously endured a 20–62 season in 1996–97 after injuries sidelined David Robinson for most of the year. That collapse positioned San Antonio to land the No. 1 overall pick, which they used to select Tim Duncan – a move that ultimately reshaped the franchise for nearly two decades.

While no team openly embraces the idea of “tanking,” history shows that patience in a lost season can sometimes accelerate a rebuild. For Dallas, the debate surrounding Irving’s return fits into that same long-standing, if controversial, team-building philosophy.