After it seemed as if things couldn’t get any worse for the Dallas Mavericks, Kyrie Irving suffered a devastating injury that essentially put an end to the team’s playoff hopes. Irving will not only miss out on the opportunity to lead the Mavs to the postseason, but he’ll also lose out on $2 million in contract incentives.
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Irving’s torn ACL against the Sacramento Kings will keep the nine-time All-Star sidelined for the rest of this season and likely a chunk of next year, as well. As a result, he’ll no longer be eligible to receive a $1 million bonus for 50 games played with 50 wins or a bonus for 65 games played.
To make matters worse, Irving will also miss out on the chance for any accolades at the end of the season. The 32-year-old has been excellent over his 50 games this year, especially while playing without Luka Doncic, but he won’t be rewarded for his efforts.
Kyrie has been leading the NBA with 39.3 minutes per game since the Doncic trade, doing everything in his power to keep the Mavs competitive throughout their injury woes. After being in the midst of one of the most well-rounded campaigns of his career, the former NBA champion will be ineligible for the league’s All-NBA teams.
A devastating injury for Kyrie Irving and Dallas.
Irving was playing at an All-NBA level this season.
Since the Luka trade, he was averaging 39.3 minutes, most of any player.
He has a $43M player option for next season.
He is no longer eligible for:
– All-NBA honors
– $1M…— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) March 4, 2025
At 32 years old, Irving should still have plenty of wizardry left in the tank. Other stars have proven that fully recovering from an ACL injury is no longer a rarity, but that doesn’t mean the situation in Dallas is looking any less bleak.
Kyrie Irving’s injury could impact the Mavs’ present and future
The Mavericks were already struggling to tread water, even with a healthy Irving. With the 14-year veteran now sidelined for the foreseeable future, though, it seems unlikely the team will be able to claw their way into the postseason. Dallas currently sits at 32-10, 10th in the West, with no star to lead them at the moment.
This was looking like a lost season for the Mavs even before Kyrie’s injury, but the team will now have to evaluate how their future looks as well. The team planned to contend around Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis, but with both stars on the shelf and aging, that contention window may never open again for Dallas.
Depending on how quickly and efficiency their star point guard recovers, it’s possible that Dallas can bounce back next season. But for that to work, the team will need its best talents on the court playing at their absolute best.
