Kyrie Irving says he is nearing full strength after more than a year of recovery from the ACL tear that sidelined him and reshaped the Dallas Mavericks’ long-term outlook.
Speaking on Friday, May 29, Irving said he believes he is close to returning to complete health after spending months rebuilding his body following the injury.
“I am definitely close to being over at 100% in terms of my ACL recovery,” Irving said, per Mike Curtis. “It’s been a while now…I’m so grateful that I’ve had the time to heal and just experiment with my body more on the court and off the court in the weight room & just pushing myself to the limit.”
The update marks an important moment for Dallas after Irving missed the entire 2025-26 season while continuing rehabilitation. The veteran guard tore his ACL on March 3, 2025, during the first quarter of a game against the Sacramento Kings, ending his season immediately and creating uncertainty around his availability moving forward.
The Mavericks remained committed to Irving despite the setback. On July 6, 2025, Dallas re-signed the veteran guard to a three-year, $119 million contract, signaling confidence in both his recovery and future role with the franchise.
Any optimism around a midseason return faded on February 18, 2026, when Irving was ruled out for the remainder of the campaign as he continued progressing through rehabilitation. The organization instead focused on development and lineup experimentation during a difficult season.
Dallas finished 26-56 and ended 12th in the Western Conference, missing postseason contention. Rookie Cooper Flagg emerged as a bright spot, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 70 games while becoming the team’s leading scorer in his first NBA season.
Without Irving, the Mavericks lacked a proven high-level shot creator in late-game situations. Dallas often relied on committee offense, with Naji Marshall averaging 15.2 points, P.J. Washington contributing 14.2 points and Max Christie adding 12.3 while spacing the floor at 40.4% from three-point range.
