Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving will sit out the remainder of the 2025-26 NBA season as he continues recovering from left ACL surgery performed last March. The nine-time All-Star has not appeared in a game this year and will target a full return for the 2026-27 campaign, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Irving’s agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, told ESPN the plan centers on complete readiness. “This is about Kyrie being 1000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season.”
The 33-year-old Irving suffered the injury in March 2025 while playing for Dallas. He has spent the entire current season rehabbing, and the Mavericks officially confirmed Wednesday that he will not return before the schedule ends.
In his most recent full season with the Mavericks in 2024-25, Irving appeared in 50 games and posted averages of 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest.
He shot 47.3 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from three-point range while logging heavy minutes as the team’s primary ball-handler. Irving produced multiple 30-point outings and showed his trademark playmaking vision right up until the ACL tear ended his year. The numbers reiterated his status as one of the league’s most skilled guards when healthy.
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