The Dallas Mavericks have had a dark cloud hanging over the franchise for the past two seasons. First, Luka Doncic was traded in a blockbuster deal to the Lakers. Then, a few weeks later, Kyrie Irving tore his ACL and has not seen a second of playing time since. As it turns out, he will not be making a return anytime soon either.
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For Irving, it was a massive setback, given how damaging that type of injury can be. There was some optimism surrounding his recovery, especially with recent advances in sports medicine that NBA doctors are using to accelerate healing. After all, Jayson Tatum is eyeing a comeback less than a year after suffering an Achilles tear, so a similar timeline was expected for Irving as well.
Jason Kidd, however, does not share that view. The legendary Dallas guard and current head coach addressed rumors surrounding Irving’s return while speaking with the basketball media. Kidd explained that while he would love to have his most experienced superstar back on the court alongside Cooper Flagg, the organization would be prioritizing Kyrie’s long-term health.
“Long-term health. We want to make sure he’s ready to go for next season. For him, at practice, some of the things that he’s working on, he looks good. I think as we get into March & April, we want him to keep going in the right direction,” Kidd said.
In all honestly, that’s probably the best call. We’ve seen countless examples of a player rushing back from injury and not being remotely close to the same player they were. And Kyrie’s tear was a brutal one. He himself recalled “feeling it” tear as soon as he tried to pivot off his foot in a March 2025 matchup against the Kings.
“For that decision he made, we’re thinking about the long-term of his health & for us being healthy going into next season,” added Kidd, reiterating an earlier point.
Jason Kidd on Kyrie Irving being ruled out for the season:
“Longterm health. We want to make sure he’s ready to go for next season…For him, at practice, some of the things that he’s working on, he looks good. I think as we get into March & April, we want him to keep going in…
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) February 19, 2026
It is encouraging to know that Irving is looking good in practice. It speaks volumes about his work ethic and his effort to get back into rhythm. Overall, this is very good news. Dallas is thinking long term. With Flagg finding his game and the potential pieces they could add through the draft, the Mavericks could be back in contention as early as next year.
Put Kyrie in the mix with a group of young players, and there is real potential for him to grow into a LeBron-like leadership role, one in which he would likely excel. Add in Kidd’s basketball IQ as both a former player and a coach, and Dallas fans may not be in mourning for much longer after what has been a miserable past two seasons.
