The Mavericks not only need D'Angelo Russell to be the player he once was, while Irving remains out, but when Irving does eventually return, Russell and Irving will need to be able to play together on the court at the same time.
While a lot of the Mavericks' season is hinging on Russell's performance, and when Irving does eventually return to the hardwood, there is now a reason to believe that Irving could miss the entire 2025-26 NBA regular season after his recent comments.
Kyrie Irving's latest injury update doesn't look well for Mavericks' season
By early accounts, the Mavericks were hoping that Irving would return to the court by January or February at the latest after tearing his left ACL in early March; however, those reports appear to be thrown out the window. While it's still unclear when Irving might be fully healthy, his comments don't appear to give fans much hope about the Mavericks' upcoming season.
In a recent Twitch stream, Irving was asked if he believes he will return to the basketball court before the playoffs tip off, and Irving's response is not one that fans want to hear.
"Don't hold your breath on that... I just want to be back 150,000% better." Irving said in response to a fan.
Mavericks G Kyrie Irving on if he’ll be back by the NBA Playoffs:
“Don’t hold your breath on that…I just want to be back 150,000% better.” #MFFL
(🎥: @SwishAccess) pic.twitter.com/S7oY3G4ru0— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) July 6, 2025
Irving would go on to say that he wants to trust his body and the rehab process before making a full return to basketball activities and that he doesn't want to leave fans with a date in mind for his possible return. For Irving, this is a very smart move, considering his return will be on his account and based on how he feels, but it could mean the Mavericks will be without Irving for the entire season if what he is saying is true.
Without Irving, the Mavericks would look very different, and they could instantly throw out their championship hopes during Cooper Flagg's rookie season. Health was already a major concern for this version of the Mavericks roster, and Irving likely missing most of the regular season is not a good sign for their championship or even playoff hopes.
Despite the bad news, the Mavericks have likely already planned for the worst-case scenario when it comes to Irving's return date, which was likely a reason they targeted Russell so heavily in free agency. While the addition of Russell won't single-handedly give the Mavericks a championship-level guard in their backcourt, it will give Flagg extra reps at handling the rock that he likely wouldn't get if Irving were sharing the court.
Irving's absence no doubt lowers the ceiling of this current Mavericks team, but whenever Irving returns to the floor, even if it isn't this coming season, will be a treat for NBA fans.
