Kyrie Irving still healing from ACL surgery, to sit rest season

It will be another several months before Mavericks fans see Kyrie Irving on the hardwood again.

The Dallas point guard will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season as he continues to recover from an ACL tear, the team announced on Wednesday morning.

Irving sustained the injury in his left leg in March 2025, and after undergoing surgery shortly afterward, he had initially eyed a return at some point this year.

But in a statement, Irving explained “the right” choice was to allow the knee a few more months to heal.

“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” he said. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

“The belief and drive I have inside only grows. And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!”

Irving joined the Mavericks in the 2022-23 season via a trade from Brooklyn, and the following season, he and Luka Doncic helped lead the team to the NBA Finals.

In 2024-25, he had an All-Star season, but missed the last portion of the year due to the knee injury.

The Mavericks, of course, are in no position to rush back Irving, who’s in the middle of a three-year, $119 million contract — the team sits near the bottom of Western Conference standings with a 19-35 record.