The Dallas Mavericks’ deal with the Washington Wizards made one thing obvious. They are showing patience by betting on Kyrie Irving as the veteran cornerstone of the rebuild. In contrast, Anthony Davis’ availability issues led to his exit after only 29 games. During that time, Irving thought he’d return to a veteran core of Davis, Klay Thompson, and himself behind a generational star like Cooper Flagg.

With the Wizards trade, however, the future of the other veteran superstar in Dallas came into sharp focus. Irving, who has spent the entire season recovering from a torn ACL, is reportedly still coming to terms with losing an All-Star teammate.

“I talked to his [Kyrie’s] agent, Shetellia Irving, just a second ago, she said that Kyrie is just processing the changes, and he’s still committed to Dallas,” Mark J. Spears of ESPN confirmed on air. “Source close to the Mavs told me that they believe Kyrie is still committed to the Mavericks as well.”

The loyalty appears mutual, which is crucial for rookie sensation Cooper Flagg, as it provides a foundational pillar around him during his early years. The past few months have been a major learning experience for the youngster, as he has played in unfamiliar roles. He also seems to be well-liked by head coach Jason Kidd, who recently went berserk at the media when they tried to question his development plan with Flagg, calling their views “b——-.”

Spears, however, couldn’t get Shetellia to confirm when Irving will be back. But she confirmed he’s been in the training room working out and could return to practice soon.

What we know about Kyrie Irving’s health and return timeline

It’s been close to a year since Kyrie Irving tore his ACL shortly after the Mavericks acquired Davis for Luka Doncic. While Doncic has said on record that Irving was the best on-court partner he had, all eyes are on his return. By committing to Irving through his recovery, the front office is showing a level of faith they didn’t afford Davis.

But Spears’ update should cool the immediate speculation that Irving could be the next veteran moved before the trade deadline. He is contracted for two more seasons after this one (player option in 2027-28).

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In mid-January, Kidd said that Irving’s return “will probably be after the All-Star break, but there’s also other plans that could come into play here, too.”

It depended on how soon he could return to practice. But they had no timeline by then. As the trade deadline loomed closer, the consensus was to delay his return.

Irving is not the type to be on a minutes restriction, but he likely won’t rush himself to return this season.

“If you ask 95% of the league if they rather be playing 15 minutes or 35 minutes a night, I guarantee you 95% of them would say 35 minutes,” Irving said on a stream last year. “I led the league in minutes, so the f— what…”

Irving could follow Jamal Murray’s example, making a complete return the next season and serving as a bridge between veteran leadership and the next generation.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks replenished their decimated roster with Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, and Marvin Bagley III, after sending D’Angelo Russell, Jaden Hardy, and Dante Exum to Washington along with Davis.

However, the situation remains fluid until the 3 pm ET deadline tomorrow.