Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is “ramping up to return to practice” amid his recovery from the torn left ACL that has sidelined him since last March, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon said Thursday on NBA on EASPN’s Howdy Partners.
According to MacMahon, the Mavericks’ objective is to get Irving back in practice, but his return probably won’t come until after the NBA All-Star Weekend ends on Feb. 15.
“I’m told he has been playing 1-on-1, primarily against coaches and staffers… he’s been operating against dummy defenses, where it’s like a five-man defense, and they’re simulating pick-and-roll reads. Those kind of things,” MacMahon said.
MacMahon added that he feels it is “possible” Irving will not ultimately see game action until the 2026-27 season.
Irving has not played since suffering his season-ending knee injury on March 3, 2025.
“I do firmly believe that he’ll be physically cleared during the season, but whether or not he plays, we’ll see,” MacMahon said.
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd similarly said last week that Irving’s return to the court will “probably be after the All-Star break,” per NBA.com’s Dwain Price.
“There’s also other plans that could come into play here, too,” Kidd said last week about Irving’s return, per Price. “Being able to get on the floor and play in an NBA game might be just a little bit different than practice.”
Kidd added that where the Mavericks are in the standings will have “nothing to do” with the team’s determination as to whether Irving is ready to play.
The Mavericks are currently sitting at No. 11 in the Western Conference with a 19-28 record.
Irving’s injury last spring meant the Mavericks only got to see a brief overlap between him and Anthony Davis following the trade that brought Davis from the Lakers.
It also means the Mavericks haven’t gotten a chance to see both Irving and Davis play alongside 2025 top draft pick Cooper Flagg.
Whether the Mavericks ultimately get to see that trio ply together will depend on what the franchise decides to do at the trade deadline. MacMahon previously reported that Rich Paul, Davis’ agent, “has made it clear he wants his client to be traded.”
The Athletic’s Christian Clark recently reported the trade market is “tepid” for Davis, who comes with a $54 million cap hit this season has been sidelined since Jan. 8 with a left hand injury.
If Davis ultimately stays put past the deadline, the Mavericks could get a first look at their core trio when Irving returns to practice down the stretch.