Kyrie Irving subtly reveals intriguing injury update Mavericks desperately needed

After the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis on February 1, Nico Harrison's goal for the team remained the same.

Harrison wanted Dallas to compete for a title last season with Davis and Irving as his star duo, but everything hit the fan in their first game together. Davis went down with an adductor strain in the third quarter of his Mavs debut, and since he was going to be able to return right before the end of the season, there was still hope in Dallas that they could get healthy before the playoffs.

Fans believed that Irving and Davis had the potential to take them on a playoff run that the city desperately needed to mend their hearts from the sorrow that came along with the Doncic trade, but everything changed on March 3.

Irving went down in Dallas's game against the Sacramento Kings, and he ended up tearing his left ACL. This was a crushing blow for the Mavs, as their main goal of getting healthy right before the playoffs was torn to shreds.

Irving's ACL recovery is sending the right message about Mavs future

Without Irving, the Mavericks ended up getting bounced in the second game of the Play-In Tournament against the Memphis Grizzlies. They clearly didn't have enough offense to make any real noise in the playoffs without Irving, but he is on pace to be back at some point next season.

There have been murmurs that Irving could return before January, and Irving himself dropped one of his first real updates about how his rehab is going on social media earlier this week.

Irving's posted video gives an up-close look at the kind of rehab he is going through for his injured knee. It shows Irving working on an elliptical bike, doing a calf raise, doing cable work with a resistance band around his legs, resistance work on his injured leg, doing a single-leg stance, and more.

Irving is taking his recovery seriously and doing everything he needs to do to ensure a steady recovery, and on top of all of that, he seems to be in great spirits.

Injuries are just as hard on players' minds as their bodies, and Irving was seen with a smile on his face, taking his recovery process day by day ahead of a crucial 2025-26 season. This summer, Irving has a $43.96 million player option, and regardless of whether he opts out, he is expected to remain in Dallas.

Harrison always speaks highly of Irving, and he considers Irving a big part of what they are building right now. He traded for Davis with the vision of pairing him with Irving for the next few years, and all signs are pointing to Irving signing a new contract with the Mavs this summer.

While Irving won't be ready to play when the season begins, his return at any point next season will give the Mavs a shot at contention. Now that Dallas won the NBA Draft Lottery and will draft Cooper Flagg next month, fans can't wait to see the Irving-Davis-Flagg big three once Irving has recovered from his ACL tear and is ready to play.

Irving still has a long road ahead of him, but if the video he posted shows anything, it's that he is eager to return to the floor. The Mavericks will need him down the final stretch of next season to make a deep playoff run, and his rehab is putting him in a great position to return to being the player he was before the injury.