The Dallas Mavericks have been outwardly optimistic about the potential for Kyrie Irving to return to action on the early side of the typical recovery timeline that comes with an ACL tear. The veteran point guard, however, pumped the brakes on cementing a firm target for his return and did not offer a guarantee that he will be back on the floor by the time the 2026 NBA playoffs roll around.
Next postseason emerged as a hypothetical timetable for Irving to get back in the Mavericks lineup considering it would be just over a year after he sustained the injury in his knee. The team was reportedly optimistic that he could potentially be back in action around a 10-month timeframe, which would have him ready for game action in January. But Irving made it clear that he will not rush back, even if it means missing the postseason.
“Don’t hold your breath on that,” Irving said Sunday on his live stream when asked if he would be back for the 2026 playoffs. “It doesn’t mean that I won’t be back. It’s just, I don’t want to make any predictions on when I’m going to be back. I just want to be back 150,000% better. So I’m taking my time right now to really get healthy. I’m taking my time to really get my body right, other portions of my body right and really just enjoy this recovery process.”
NBA free agency: D’Angelo Russell to sign with Mavericks as Dallas gets Kyrie Irving injury replacement
Sam Quinn
Irving’s injury was one of multiple blows to the Mavericks roster last season. The nine-time All-Star, at age 32, was about as productive as ever in leading the Dallas offense and averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists in his second full season with the franchise. He tore the ACL in his left knee in a March 3 contest against the Sacramento Kings, underwent surgery just over three weeks later and missed the rest of the campaign.
“It’s not pretty,” Irving said of his recovery. “Yes, it is a beautiful struggle, but I go through kind of the mental rollercoaster ride every day. Just want to be back out there.”
The Mavs would benefit mightily from getting Irving back into the lineup down the stretch of the 2025-26 season as they project as a team that will be in playoff contention despite their puzzling midyear trade of superstar guard Luka Dončić. The arrival of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg reinvigorated a fanbase that suffered through multiple disappointments last season. And while Irving is sidelined, free agent addition D’Angelo Russell figures to have a major role in the backcourt.
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd previously indicated that a winter return from Irving could be on the table.
“We know [Kyrie] won’t be back until January, February, March,” Kidd said. “I didn’t want to put a time limit on it, because I don’t want to be held to, ‘Well you said January,’ so we got to give me some leeway there. But knowing [Kyrie], he’s going to try to come back soon. … As you know he documents everything, so just talking to him, his spirit, he’s in the right frame of mind. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s back early.”
This news was originally published on this post .
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Mexico Beats USA in Gold Cup Final: What Stood Out and What’s Next?
Laken Litman College Football & Soccer Analyst <!--> With a dreadful start to the summer in friendly play in the rearview, the U.S. men's national team had a chance to come away with a trophy and a nice bit of momentum – in addition to valuable intel on some of its younger players. The trophy wasn't meant to be as Mexico captured its second-straight Gold Cup title for its 10th overall crown, downing the United States, 2-1. El Tri had not defeated the Americans in a competitive match in six years, the last victory coming in the 2019 final of this tournament.-->The Americans set the tone early when Chris Richards headed home a pinpoint free-kick by Sebastian Berhalter in the fourth minute. But after that, Mexico dominated. Backed by a deafening crowd of more than 70,000 fans at Houston's NRG Stadium, […]
Mexico Beats USA in Gold Cup Final: What Stood Out and What’s Next?
Laken Litman College Football & Soccer Analyst <!--> With a dreadful start to the summer in friendly play in the rearview, the U.S. men's national team had a chance to come away with a trophy and a nice bit of momentum – in addition to valuable intel on some of its younger players. The trophy wasn't meant to be as Mexico captured its second-straight Gold Cup title for its 10th overall crown, downing the United States, 2-1. El Tri had not defeated the Americans in a competitive match in six years, the last victory coming in the 2019 final of this tournament.-->The Americans set the tone early when Chris Richards headed home a pinpoint free-kick by Sebastian Berhalter in the fourth minute. But after that, Mexico dominated. Backed by a deafening crowd of more than 70,000 fans at Houston's NRG Stadium, […]
Concacaf Gold Cup awards: Edson Alvarez named Player of the Tournament
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Concacaf Gold Cup awards: Edson Alvarez named Player of the Tournament
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Why Mexico Wasn’t Called For A Handball In the Gold Cup Final vs. USA
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Mexico Beats USA in Gold Cup Final: What Stood Out and What’s Next?
Laken Litman College Football & Soccer Analyst <!--> With a dreadful start to the summer in friendly play in the rearview, the U.S. men's national team had a chance to come away with a trophy and a nice bit of momentum – in addition to valuable intel on some of its younger players. The trophy wasn't meant to be as Mexico captured its second-straight Gold Cup title for its 10th overall crown, downing the United States, 2-1. El Tri had not defeated the Americans in a competitive match in six years, the last victory coming in the 2019 final of this tournament.-->The Americans set the tone early when Chris Richards headed home a pinpoint free-kick by Sebastian Berhalter in the fourth minute. But after that, Mexico dominated. Backed by a deafening crowd of more than 70,000 fans at Houston's NRG Stadium, […]
Mexico Beats USA in Gold Cup Final: What Stood Out and What’s Next?
Laken Litman College Football & Soccer Analyst <!--> With a dreadful start to the summer in friendly play in the rearview, the U.S. men's national team had a chance to come away with a trophy and a nice bit of momentum – in addition to valuable intel on some of its younger players. The trophy wasn't meant to be as Mexico captured its second-straight Gold Cup title for its 10th overall crown, downing the United States, 2-1. El Tri had not defeated the Americans in a competitive match in six years, the last victory coming in the 2019 final of this tournament.-->The Americans set the tone early when Chris Richards headed home a pinpoint free-kick by Sebastian Berhalter in the fourth minute. But after that, Mexico dominated. Backed by a deafening crowd of more than 70,000 fans at Houston's NRG Stadium, […]
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Tite cumprimenta a torcida antes da partida. (Foto de Buda Mendes/Getty Images)O técnico Tite protagonizou um momento marcante fora dos gramados ao participar de um reencontro com os jogadores do elenco campeão da Libertadores de 2012 pelo Corinthians. Emocionado, o treinador descreveu o encontro como algo “mágico” e “gratificante”, destacando a forte conexão emocional com aquele grupo de atletas. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEDurante o bate-papo, Tite revelou que foi acolhido com muito carinho e respeito, e que o momento serviu como um lembrete do quão especial foi aquela campanha histórica. “Não é demagogia, foi profundo. Esse grupo é diferente”, afirmou o ex-treinador da Seleção Brasileira, que também comandou Corinthians, Flamengo e Grêmio ao longo da carreira.Memórias vivas e união do grupo marcaram o encontroO técnico reforçou o impacto das memórias revividas ali, com cada jogador compartilhando passagens da campanha continental que culminou […]
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<!--> Did a missed handball call cost the United States the Concacaf Gold Cup title against Mexico? Not according to VAR.In the second half of Sunday's final, Mexico defender Jorge Sánchez tackled the ball away from United States defender Max Arfsten, but when he tried to get back on his feet, he placed his hand on the ball in the penalty box. The U.S. emphatically called for a handball, but after consulting with Video Assistant Referee (VAR), match official Mario Alberto Escobar Toca ruled that it was an incidental handball and therefore not a penalty in favor of the United States. An incidental handball refers to a situation where a player's hand or arm unintentionally makes contact with the ball, without the player deliberately handling the ball or making their body unnaturally bigger.ADVERTISEMENT -->If called, the U.S. would have had […]
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