The Dallas Mavericks suffered a big blow to their playoff hopes when Kyrie Irving sustained a torn ACL in early March. Now, as it stands, the team will have to wait some time to get the All-Star point guard back in action.

Speaking on ESPN’s NBA Countdown, Shams Charania revealed the franchise’s perspective on Irving and when he’s expected to return to action with the Mavericks.

“Kyrie Irving’s return,” Charania said. “That’s the big question now, and the expectation around the Dallas Mavericks is that he will be available for hopefully a good chunk of next season.”

Charania added that “there’s optimism that he will be back by January,” meaning Irving is going to miss at least the first three months of the 2025-26 NBA season.

The NBA insider proceeded to highlight another important situation involving Irving that the Mavericks have to deal with: his contract. The 33-year-old has a $44 million player option for the 2025-26 season, and the Mavs reportedly plan to “rip up” that option and “give him a three-year deal.”

Kyrie Irving, who underwent successful surgery to repair his torn ACL on March 26, sustained the injury late in the first quarter of the Mavericks’ 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 3. The typical recovery time for an ACL surgery like Irving’s is six to 12 months.

In 50 games during the 2024-25 season, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving looks on during the first quarter against the Brooklyn Nets.

© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It remains to be seen whether Irving can pull off a faster recovery than projected, or if the Mavericks will have to wait longer than expected. In any case, the franchise will have to find a way to stay relevant while waiting for the one-time NBA champion to return from his health setback.