An already difficult Mavericks season just hit a new low.
Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee Monday night after falling to the floor in the first quarter of the Mavericks game against the Kings and will miss the rest of the season, according to multiple reports. Since the Mavericks made the shocking Luka Dončić trade in February, the 32-year-old Irving has averaged 39.3 minutes per game, the most in the NBA.
While the exact timeline for his return has yet to be determined, Irving will likely miss significant time next season as well, given that ACL tears tend to keep players out for about 8 to 12 months.
According to ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks, the injury will cost Irving the chance at a few bonuses. He was eligible for a $1 million bonus if he played 65 games and another $1 million if he played 50 games and the Mavericks won 50 games. He is also no longer eligible to make an All-NBA team.
The news adds to the Dallas season marred by the Dončić trade. The Mavericks front office—particularly GM Nico Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont—has received significant backlash from its fan base for moving on from a 25-year-old superstar who led them to the NBA Finals last season.
Dallas had already lost several key players to lengthy injuries before Irving went down. Anthony Davis, the best player Dallas received in exchange for Dončić, sustained an adductor injury in his first game with the team that is expected to keep him out for multiple weeks. A week later, Daniel Gafford suffered an MCL sprain that will keep him out for more than a month.
The team also lost Dereck Lively II a week before the Dončić trade due to a stress fracture.
The Mavericks currently sit 10th in the West—the final spot of the play-in tournament—and hold a three-and-a-half-game lead over the slumping Suns. They are only one and a half games out of sixth, which would guarantee a playoff berth, but the injuries make that climb significantly more daunting.
The one silver lining for Dallas is it owns its 2025 first-round draft pick. But the Mavericks currently have the 13th-best odds at the first pick—likely to be Duke’s Cooper Flagg—at just 1%. But Dallas does not own any of its first-round draft picks from 2027 to 2030.
Irving’s Uncertain Future
The injury also shines a spotlight on Irving’s contract. The eight-time All-Star has a player option for next season worth close to $44 million, per Spotrac. Given the severity of this injury, it’s likely Irving will opt in to that deal to guarantee a payday next year.
However, given the volatility in Dallas over the past month, Irving may look at different options once he becomes a free agent in 2026. The new-look Mavericks team was built to win in the short term, but Irving’s injury has dampened that vision.
Dallas could also look to shop Irving at next year’s trade deadline to try to recoup some assets, assuming he is healthy (would be about 11 months since the injury) for a team that may be willing to take a half-season rental on the star guard—or one that could guarantee him a long-term contract before hitting free agency.
