Kyrie Irving suffered calf strain in December

Irving has not appeared in a basketball game since suffering a torn left ACL on March 31, 2025. During Mavericks media day, the veteran point guard said that he’s “ready to kick some butt,” which is great news for Dallas and fantasy managers. However, Irving has not played more than 65 regular-season games since the 2018-19 campaign. The team may place early restrictions on Irving’s playing time, but he can still offer high value in any fantasy format.

Irving has not appeared in a game since suffering a torn left ACL in March 2025. While there was some optimism last summer that the point guard was ahead of schedule, he did not play at all during the 2025-26 campaign. Based on Irving’s words during a recent livestream, he’s on track to be good to go for the start of the 2026-27 season. “I am definitely close to being over at 100% in terms of my ACL recovery,” Irving said on Friday. “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 & just pushing myself to the limit.” With Cooper Flagg coming off a Rookie of the Year season and the Mavericks adding another lottery pick to the mix this summer, it will be interesting to see where Irving fits in the rebuild under new lead executive Masai Ujiri. A healthy Irving can provide top-25 fantasy value, but his playing time could be limited early on for injury management reasons.

According to Irving’s agent, “this is about Kyrie being 1000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season.” Dallas is near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, and the team has no incentive to rush Irving back before he’s fully healthy. Fantasy managers holding out hope for an end-of-season return can finally drop him and free up a valuable IL spot.

Davis injured his left hand during the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to the Jazz. According to Charania, a second opinion on the injury’s severity will be sought. If surgery is required, Davis could miss “a number of months.” If surgery isn’t needed, Davis may be looking at a six-week timeline at least. With the Mavericks’ forward/center being the subject of trade rumors, an extended absence would likely put those to rest. As for Dallas’ approach to the rest of the season, losing Davis could affect Kyrie Irving’s return from the ACL tear he suffered last March. Dallas’s first-round pick in June’s draft is the last one that they’ll have complete control over until 2031, so the front office could decide that punting on the rest of this season is in the franchise’s best interest.

Irving tore the ACL in his left knee in March, with his absence prompting the Mavericks to sign D’Angelo Russell in free agency and re-sign Dante Exum. However, general manager Nico Harrison’s comments in July that Irving was “ahead of schedule” in his recovery sparked optimism that the point guard could return sooner than expected. Irving clarified in his recent livestream that he has no timeline for a return to action. “There’s no timetable for when I’m coming back, so please don’t ask me when I’m coming back,” Irving said. “Please don’t badger me with all the questions like, ‘Hey, if you’re healthy by November, what do you think about it?’ Please don’t badger me with any questions, guys. I’m going to be ready when I’m ready.” Russell is expected to assume the starting point guard duties in Irving’s absence, raising his fantasy ceiling. Someone else to track during the preseason is undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard, who has received positive reviews in training camp.

Irving was injured in early March and does not have a concrete timeline for returning to game action. However, Harrison’s words about the point guard will spark optimism regarding his return to the court. “Kyrie’s ahead of schedule, but we kind of knew he would be because of the way he attacks his rehab,” Harrison said, according to the Dallas Hoops Journal. “He’s going two or three times a day. As much as he wants to rush it, we don’t want him to. But he’s going to be fine.” Due to Irving’s injury, the Mavericks signed D’Angelo Russell in free agency and re-signed Dante Exum. They’ll handle the point guard responsibilities while Dallas awaits Kyrie’s return, with Russell being worth the risk in standard league drafts.

The first overall pick in this week’s draft, Flagg will make his summer debut on July 10 when the Mavericks play the Lakers in Las Vegas. And his new head coach already has plans for how the prized rookie will be used. “I want to put him at point guard. … I’m excited to give him the ball against the Lakers and see what happens,” Kidd said, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. This will be something worth tracking, as the Mavericks will miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 season as he recovers from a torn ACL. While Dallas is expected to address the point guard position in free agency, there may also be times when Flagg initiates offense if he shows himself capable of doing so.

Irving is now tied to Dallas through the 2027-28 season. He also has security as he rehabs from the left ACL tear that he suffered in March. The Mavericks have a talented roster that will center around Irving, Anthony Davis and the expect No. 1 overall pick in Cooper Flagg, which will help them be one of the best teams in the West over the next few seasons. Reports from April indicated that Irving could return by January, which would give this core plenty of time to mesh ahead of the postseason.

Irving tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3, ending his season. He has a player option worth $44 million next season, but Charania reported that the Mavericks would like to tear up that deal to give the point guard a three-year extension this summer. That approach would align Irving with Anthony Davis and GM Nico Harrison regarding the remaining years on their respective contracts. With Spencer Dinwiddie being a free agent this summer, whoever else is in the Mavericks’ point guard rotation may have higher value to begin the season due to Irving’s injury.

Irving tore the ACL in his left knee during a March 3 game against the Kings, ending his 2024-25 season. According to the team, the procedure to repair the torn ligament took place on Wednesday and was successful. A timeline for a return to basketball remains unknown, and complicating Irving’s situation is that he can be a free agent this summer. Fantasy managers should operate under the assumption that he will not be ready when the 2025-26 season begins in October.