DHJ Quick Take: Kyrie Irving Says He’s Nearing Full Strength as Mavericks Back His Return
- Encouraging Recovery Update: Speaking on a Twitch stream, Kyrie Irving said he is nearing full strength from his torn left ACL and is close to being “over at 100%” healthy, now more than 14 months removed from surgery.
- Injury Timeline: Irving tore the ACL on March 3, 2025, against the Sacramento Kings and had reconstructive surgery on March 26, missing the entire 2025-26 season after averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 50 games before the injury.
- Front Office Optimism: General manager Mike Schmitz said Irving has been a near-daily presence at the facility and is “completely locked in,” calling the level of buy-in “really impressive” and crediting his leadership for the team’s confidence in the comeback.
- Ujiri Backs the Fit With Flagg: President of basketball operations Masai Ujiri pushed back on trade speculation, saying he wants to see Irving paired with No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, and Irving remains under a three-year, $119 million contract with no return timetable set.
DALLAS — Kyrie Irving continues to work his way back to form over 14 months removed from ACL surgery. He recently shared that he’s nearing full recovery, which will give him several more months to continue progressing before the Dallas Mavericks open training camp in late September.
“I am definitely close to being over at 100% in terms of my ACL recovery,” Irving said on Friday’s Twitch stream. “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 and just pushing myself to the limit.”
Kyrie Irving’s Road Back From a Torn ACL
The 34-year-old has leaned on his Twitch streams throughout the process, using them to share workout clips, update fans, and ask for patience. He has also been candid about the toll of the rehab, acknowledging earlier in the recovery that he dealt with doubt and uncertainty about whether he would return to the form he showed before the injury.
There has been a positive side to the recovery process as well. Irving said the extended time away has given his body a chance to recover after years of heavy workloads and logging significant minutes.
“At this age, I feel like the game is slowing down, but also I’m able to do more out there just more efficiently,” Irving said.
Irving tore the ACL on March 3, 2025, against the Sacramento Kings and underwent reconstructive surgery on March 26. He missed the entire 2025-26 season. Before the injury, he appeared in 50 games and averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists.
Throughout the year, Irving repeatedly tamped down speculation that he might return early, declining to set a timetable and asking fans not to press him for a date. Dallas shut down Irving for the 2025-26 season in February after the team traded Anthony Davis and lacked a postseason outlook.
Kyrie Irving is Doing ‘Everything Humanly Possible’ to Get Back
The update comes after Mavericks general manager Mike Schmitz offered his own glowing assessment of Irving’s rehab. Schmitz said the guard has been a near-daily presence at the team’s facility and is “completely locked in” on everything the staff is doing.
Schmitz described Irving’s level of buy-in with the Mavericks as “really impressive” and said Irving is doing “everything humanly possible” to return at full strength. He cited Irving’s leadership and daily approach as the foundation for the team’s optimism about the comeback.
Schmitz is part of a reshaped front office. Dallas hired president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri this offseason, brought in Schmitz as general manager, and parted ways with coach Jason Kidd. Ujiri has pushed back on trade speculation surrounding Irving, making clear at a press conference last week that he wants to see the guard fit alongside No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg rather than be moved.
“Kevin Durant once told me that there’s only one Kyrie Irving walking around in the world,” Ujiri said. “I think we have to figure out a way how Kyrie fits with our program. I’ve had those conversations with Kyrie, up till yesterday and I think Kyrie will fit. There’s a huge curiosity in our minds to see how Kyrie fits playing with Cooper Flagg … and I think we owe that to this organization.”
A Pairing With Cooper Flagg Still Ahead
Ujiri addressed Irving’s recovery more directly at an earlier press conference in May.
“Kyrie Irving is one of the best players, and I know he’s the best ball handler in the game,” Ujiri said. “His experience. He’s a championship player. I’m excited to see that, we all are. His injury was unfortunate, but I know he’s moved past that. I think it’s going to be pretty cool, and I know it’s going to help Cooper, because Kyrie likes to play off the ball too, and this is going to be interesting for us.”
Irving, a nine-time All-Star and the 2016 NBA champion, is under a three-year, $119 million contract and has not committed to a timetable for his return. How that return looks, and how it fits next to Flagg, remains one of the defining questions of Dallas’s offseason.
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