The Mavs had a chance to get back to the NBA Finals for a second straight year even with Luka Doncic getting traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, but those dreams all but died when Kyrie Irving went down with a season-ending torn ACL injury in March.

Kyrie Irving, who underwent successful surgery to repair his torn ACL on March 26, sustained the injury late in the first quarter of the Mavericks' 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 3. The typical recovery time for an ACL surgery like Irving's is six to 12 months.

But sources told ESPN that Kyrie Irving is completing his rehab nicely, and could even return to the court as soon as January 2026, adding that there is "an expectation around the team that Irving will be able to play a good amount of the 2025-26 season upon his return“.