Mavs’ Masai Ujiri Talks Kidd, Goals, Flagg, Dumont
There had been a sense as the Mavericks searched for a new head of basketball operations that management envisioned Jason Kidd staying on as the team’s head coach regardless of who was hired. However, asked about Kidd’s future on Tuesday during his introductory press conference, new Mavs president Masai Ujiri was noncommittal, writes Christian Clark of The Athletic.
“He’s done a great job, but we are going to look at this thing from head to toe,” Ujiri said. “That’s the right way to look at an organization and evaluate in every single way we can.”
While Ujiri’s initial response raised some eyebrows, his follow-up remarks – in which he pointed to his track record with the Nuggets and Raptors – suggested that he probably won’t look to make a head coaching change right away. As Clark notes, Ujiri inherited George Karl as his coach in Denver and Dwane Casey in Toronto and kept them in their roles for three and five more years, respectively.
“I’m going to hear coach Jason Kidd out, his thoughts on everything,” Ujiri said. “Because some of the stuff here, I don’t know. For me, it’s that simple. If you go back to the history, it’s the same thing. I have to follow the process here. I’m excited to meet with him.”
Here’s more on Ujiri and the Mavs:
- Asked about his goals in his new position, Ujiri made it clear that he wants to put a turbulent year-and-a-half for the Mavs in the rear-view mirror, as Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal relays. “I hope to bring calm,” Ujiri said. “I hope to bring winning. Yes, we want to get back to winning. This is a winning organization. I know the fan base wants that. I know the organization wants that. I know leadership wants that. I know the NBA wants that. I’m hoping, and I’m praying, and that’s to tell you guys that I’m here, and I know that winning is my drive, and winning is going to be the drive of this organization.”
- Ujiri didn’t shy away from the fact that the presence of Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg was one significant reason why the Mavericks’ job appealed to him, per Afseth. “The one difficult thing to find anywhere, anywhere in sports, is a generational player, and we have one,” Ujiri said. “We’ve planted a flag here. We have one player here that can turn everything, and it is so hard to find in sports.”
- Ujiri envisions Flagg as the sort of player who can thrive as a play-maker with the ball in his hands. Asked what type of players he wants to surround Flagg with, he cited shooters and other players capable of spacing the floor and giving the 19-year-old more room to operate, according to Afseth. However, that doesn’t mean that he’s not excited to see Flagg play alongside point guard Kyrie Irving, who missed all of 2025/26 while recovering from an ACL tear. “I dream like you dream,” the new Mavs’ president said. “All of us dream. I can’t wait. I want to see that. … I think it’s going to be pretty cool, and I know it’s going to help Cooper, because Kyrie likes to play off the ball too.”
- Ujiri and Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont said their initial meeting, which was supposed to be a one-hour lunch, turned into a five-hour conversation that helped the two men recognize the alignment between them. “Our wives are looking for us,” Ujiri said, per Afseth. “He checks his phone one time in a five-hour meeting. One time. My wife is looking for me. His wife is looking for him. They kicked us out of the restaurant. His friend owns the restaurant. He doesn’t even say anything because his lunch is over. They have to change it to dinner. We go sit outside, and we continue talking.”
Southwest Notes: Edey, Prosper, Kyrie, Fears, Rockets
Speaking to reporters earlier this week for the first time since December, Grizzlies center Zach Edey said he was pleased with how he performed in his 11 games this season, suggesting he “showed who I can be,” per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Edey was excellent in his limited appearances, averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in just 25.8 minutes per contest and leading the team to a 7-4 record, though he acknowledged that his health issues made it feel like a “wasted” season.
“Every game it kind of got a little worse,” he said of the left ankle injury that eventually required a second surgery following the initial repair last June. “My first few games, I didn’t feel it at all. Then I may have pushed it too much — played too many minutes or whatever it was. Toward the end of that stretch, it started giving me problems.”
In addition to getting a second surgery on his left ankle, Edey also underwent a procedure on his left elbow in March. However, the big man downplayed the elbow issue, confirming that it wasn’t a new injury.
“Just a little clean-up,” Edey said. “I’ve had some problems with my elbow since middle school. I played through it for a while. I figured I might as well just get it cleaned up while I have this boot on my foot.”
Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama (right knee surgery), guard Jaylen Wells (right big toe surgery), and Scotty Pippen Jr. (right big toe surgery) also spoke this week about their respective injury recoveries, as Jonah Dylan of The Memphis Commercial Appeal relays.
Aldama indicated he expects to be fully recovered by mid-summer; Wells said he should be good to go by late June; and Pippen projected a three-month recovery timeline following his mid-March surgery. In other words, all three players expect to be ready for training camp in the fall.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- Waived after two seasons in Dallas, former first-round pick Olivier-Maxence Prosper has had a breakout year with the Grizzlies (10.0 PPG on .549/.405/.754 shooting). Speaking to Ben Steele of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Prosper says it was important for him to find his “niche” and make sure he excels in that area. “For me, it was focusing on my ability to guard multiple positions and be versatile on both sides of the ball,” the former Marquette forward said. “Offensively, you can put me as a three, four, five. And defensively, I can guard one through five. So that’s been my calling card. Now you can add to your game after that. Add to your shooting, add to your bag, but first you have to do what your calling card and do that and be consistent and stay poised the whole way through the season.”
- Kyrie Irving hasn’t played at all in the past year while recovering from a torn ACL, but the Mavericks have appreciated how his calm, level-headed presence and locker-room leadership have helped the team navigate a turbulent season, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (subscription required). “He sees when guys are in their heads,” big man Daniel Gafford said. “He’s taking all of his experience, all of his game knowledge and he’s giving it to the younger generation.” Irving has a guaranteed $39.5MM contract for 2026/27 with a $42.4MM player option for ’27/28.
- While it hasn’t been a successful season overall for the Pelicans, the development of their rookies has been a silver lining. Jeremiah Fears provided a reminder of that in the team’s home finale on Tuesday, setting a new career high and a new franchise rookie record by scoring 40 points in a victory over Utah, according to Rod Walker of NOLA.com (subscription required). “I’m really just proud of his growth,” interim head coach James Borrego said. “From training camp to where he’s at today, he’s taken a massive step. This franchise is in a really good place because of players like him. Fantastic.”
- The Rockets have a $180MM renovation plan for Toyota Center in the works, according to Houston mayor John Whitmire, who said on Wednesday that the state is expected to contribute $95MM to the project, with Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta funding the rest. Matt Young of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) has the details.
Southwest Notes: Fox, Murphy, Alexander, Kyrie
Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra recently praised Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox for being willing to sacrifice his individual statistics in pursuit of the team’s goals, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio-Express News.
“I think you have to really commend Fox,” Spoelstra said before Monday’s game in Miami. “He’s been a 25-plus point scorer for four straight years, and then sacrificing to win, he’s averaging 19 a game. People say, ‘Oh, you do whatever it takes to win.’ But I don’t know a lot of players who want to sign up and have their scoring average drop by seven and be great with it.”
For his part, Fox said the scoring dip was by design.
“I knew what I was signing up for,” Fox told the San Antonio Express-News. “Ultimately, I wanted to come and win a championship, and this is definitely the best place for it.”
We have more from the Southwest:
- After initially being listed as questionable, Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III was ruled out of Thursday’s contest in Detroit due to a right ankle sprain, the team announced (via Twitter). New Orleans lost its third straight game, with all three defeats coming against top Eastern Conference teams, notes Rod Walker of NOLA.com. “Defensively, we just had no hold on them,” interim head coach James Borrego said. “We could not gain any traction defensively. Other than the run at the end of the third quarter and early fourth, we just couldn’t string enough defensive possessions together.”
- Trey Alexander, who is on a two-way contract with the Pelicans, is the G League’s latest Player of the Week, the NBA announced on Tuesday (Twitter link). The second-year guard has only made five NBA appearances this season, but he had a huge week for the Birmingham Squadron, putting up 36.7 PPG and 10.0 APG in leading the team to a 3-0 record.
- The Mavericks have been involved in a league-high 42 “clutch” games this season, defined as a game in which the score is within five points in the final five minutes. However, they have gone just 15-27 in those contests, and have particularly struggled on the offensive end. Head coach Jason Kidd is confident Kyrie Irving will help Dallas improve its record in clutch games when he returns to action in 2026/27, per Christian Clark of The Athletic. “The offensive end of the ball, it will help in all categories,” Kidd said. “Shooting. Scoring. And the biggest (thing) is, you have a closer. A born closer.”
Mavs Notes: Flagg, Kyrie, Washington, Poulakidas
Kyrie Irving won’t play for the Mavericks this season as he continues his recovery from a torn ACL, but he has been a valuable mentor off the court to Cooper Flagg, the rookie forward said in an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews (YouTube link).
“[Irving] was that top pick and was kind of thrown into the fire. He stepped in as a great vet for me and was there kind of giving me guidance,” Flagg said of Irving (hat tip to The Dallas Morning News). “There was definitely times where I was shaken up. I never lost that much in my life. Just to hear him say that and tell me that I’m doing everything I need to be doing, just to stay with it and stay positive, it definitely helped me out a lot.”
Here’s more on the Mavericks:
- After the Cavaliers dominated the Mavericks in Dallas on Friday, the Mavs surprisingly returned the favor in Sunday’s rematch in Cleveland, writes Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News. Head coach Jason Kidd made an adjustment to the starting lineup, with P.J. Washington sliding up to center in a small-ball lineup in part because Daniel Gafford was out because of an illness. Washington had an excellent performance, becoming the third player in Mavs history to record at least 20 points, 10 rebounds (he had 11), five steals and a block in a game. “He’s willing to do whatever it takes out there and he’s so strong,” said Flagg, who had 27 points, 10 assists, six rebounds and two blocks. “It helps our coverages and flying around the court and speeding up on both sides of the floor. I thought that was huge for us…It just gave us a different look and different way to attack their bigs.“
- Washington explained why he thought the lineup change was so effective after the game, per Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I think I’m a mismatch. I can create for others, I can pass, I can set screens and pop. It’s not really what happens every day in the NBA — it’s a lot of rolling centers,” he said. “Me at the five popping opened up a lot of space on the floor for us to get some closeouts and ball reversals to get some good shots. I think it was good for us.” Kidd stuck with the same starting five for Monday’s back-to-back in New Orleans, Afseth tweets.
- Two-way player John Poulakidas provided a spark off the bench in Sunday’s win, according to Curtis. The undrafted rookie out of Yale scored his first career points during the victory, finishing with 10, including eight in a span of 60 seconds late in the third quarter. “I’ve been dreaming about having this type of opportunity since I was very little and to be living it right now is just very surreal to me,” Poulakidas said. “I’m just trying to be grateful for every opportunity I get every single day.”
Southwest Notes: Middleton, Mavericks, Zion, Sengun
Khris Middleton helped the Mavericks snap an eight-game losing streak during Thursday’s victory at Memphis, writes Dwain Price of Mavs.com. The veteran small forward had a season-high 35 points (on 10-of-17 shooting) in just 25 minutes, with 22 of those points coming in the fourth quarter.
According to Price, Middleton’s 35 points are the most by a Mavs reserve since Rodrigue Beaubois had 40 in March 2010.
“It was a good feeling,” Middleton said, referring to his fourth-quarter explosion. “I think it’s a better feeling to get a win after the last couple of losses, but definitely once you get a couple going like that in the fourth quarter like I did, it feels good.
“But you got to give credit to my teammates again for the screens and just trying to find me and trying to get me going. You just feel like anything that you shoot or throw up there it’s got a chance to go in, so I’m a shooter and you get a couple to go down you keep firing.”
Middleton will be an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn’t sign a veteran extension before the new league year begins on July 1.
We have more from around the Southwest:
- In a mailbag for The Athletic, Christian Clark answers a handful of questions about the Mavericks, including the team’s search for a permanent general manager and the future of Kyrie Irving. Clark expects Irving, who won’t play this season as he recovers from a torn ACL, to be in a Mavs uniform in 2026/27 no matter who Dallas selects in June’s draft.
- Zion Williamson‘s salary for 2026/27 is now 60% guaranteed after he made his 51st appearance of the season on Friday, notes Bobby Marks of ESPN (Twitter links). The Pelicans forward will have another 20% of his $42.2MM salary for next season guaranteed if he reaches the 61-game mark, with the final 20% hinging on whether he meets certain weight criteria specified in his contract, Marks adds.
- Rockets center Alperen Sengun was sidelined for Friday’s contest vs. New Orleans due to lower back pain, tweets Will Guillory of The Athletic. It’s unclear if the two-time All-Star will miss additional time as a result of the ailment.
And-Ones: Fizdale, Gambling Trial, VanVleet, Extensions
In an appearance on the Run It Back podcast (Twitter video link), David Fizdale claims that he and Knicks management worked out a plan to tank when he was their head coach during the 2018/19 season to improve their chances of drafting Zion Williamson or Ja Morant (hat tip to NJ.com). Fizdale also states that management promised him that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would be joining the team as free agents the following summer.
“The plan that we came up with, I was all in on that, and I was like this is the deal and this is the way to go about it. It just didn’t come to fruition,” Fizdale said. “… Losing all them damn games, donating my record to get Zion Williamson or Ja.”
No part of the strategy worked out, as New York landed the third pick in the draft after going 17-65 and wound up taking RJ Barrett, who was later traded to Toronto. Durant and Irving opted to team up in Brooklyn, believing they had a better shot to win a ring with the Nets instead of the Knicks. Fizdale was fired 22 games into the following season after the team got off to a 4-18 start.
“If I was doing it over again, I would have fought more to build a team early on and not cash in my record,” Fizdale added. “That’s the hard part for coaches when you agree to the … tanking. When you tank, you’re supposed to build something bigger. It’s not supposed to be a tank to whatever happens. … That’s not the formula.”
We have more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- A federal judge has set a trial date of November 2 for Chauncey Billups, Damon Jones and nearly three dozen co-defendants in a federal gambling case, according to Aaron Katersky of ESPN. A status hearing was held Wednesday at the U.S. Courthouse in Brooklyn, and federal prosecutors and defense attorneys are working out how to handle proceedings with so many defendants. Prosecutors expect to extend plea offers at least 12 defendants over the next few days, and they said nine others are having “productive conversations” about pleading guilty. It’s not clear if Billups and Jones are among that group.
- In addition to working his way back from an ACL tear in his right knee, Fred VanVleet has the responsibilities of running the NBA Players Association. Tania Ganguli of The New York Times talks to VanVleet about getting the players united again after many felt betrayed by the latest collective bargaining agreement, which introduced the apron system.
- Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (subscription required) examines a few players who may receive extensions before reaching free agency this summer, including Trae Young, Keon Ellis and Dean Wade.
Southwest Notes: Middleton, Mavs, Spurs, J. Smith
Prior to Friday’s loss vs. Memphis, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd confirmed that Khris Middleton is a buyout candidate ahead of Sunday’s deadline to be waived by one team and remain eligible to appear in the postseason for another club, per Ron Harrod Jr. of DLLS Mavs (Twitter video link).
“That’s up to Khris,” Kidd said. “We support whatever decision he makes if he’s going to stay or if he’s gonna get bought out. But I think he’s gotta make that decision here pretty quick.”
As reported by Marc Stein of The Stein Line, Middleton is evaluating whether to finish out his expiring contract with Dallas or to reach a buyout agreement to sign with a playoff team. The Nuggets and Spurs are said to be among the teams with interest in the 34-year-old small forward.
According to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com, NBA personnel have been keeping close tabs on Middleton since he was traded to the Mavericks ahead of this month’s deadline. One scout likes what he’s seen of the 14-year veteran, while an anonymous executive said Middleton might be better off staying with Dallas — the three-time All-Star would forfeit his Bird rights if he agrees to a buyout.
“His numbers have been down quite a bit — and his efficiency never recovered with the Wizards,” the executive told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “He might be best off playing this season out in Dallas where they’re letting him play his game and build some momentum for himself going into free agency. He’s going to get minutes and touches in Dallas. That may not be consistent on a contender. He could join a contender in the summer. I understand the appeal of joining a contender now, though.”
That same front office employee told Afseth that Middleton could help the Mavericks, but it’s not a straightforward situation.
“When he’s in a rhythm, he’s going to help a team win games. That may hurt the Mavericks’ chances of maximizing draft position now,” the executive said. “But he’s a great locker room guy. He’s genuine about helping younger teammates. That’s a good veteran to have on your team. He’d be a piece that could help them when Kyrie Irving is healthy and ready to go next season. You want vets like [Middleton] around Cooper Flagg.”
Here’s more from the Southwest:
- During Thursday’s game vs. Sacramento, Mavericks CEO Rick Welts joined the team’s broadcast and said governor Patrick Dumont decided not to raise ticket prices for 2026/27 because the Mavs didn’t meet expectations, according to Christian Clark of The Athletic. “It was one of the strangest meetings I’ve been in in my 48 years in the league, where you sit down with the owner,” Welts said. “The staff has done two months of work to figure out where tickets might be underpriced. Patrick preempted the conversation before it got started and said, ‘Look, we didn’t deliver this year. We didn’t deliver on the team as expected. We’re not going to raise one ticket price this year.’ A popular decision. The right one as well.”
- Thursday’s win at Brooklyn marked the Spurs‘ 11th consecutive victory, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. The Spurs went undefeated in February, the third time the team has had an unblemished month. “It feels like the players are finding different ways to win,” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “That’s a sign of growth.” Jared Weiss of The Athletic takes a closer look at San Antonio’s undefeated month, writing that a variety of players contributed on a game-to-game basis. The Spurs have also found ways to win even when they aren’t playing their best. “Does (the undefeated month) mean it was perfect? Not at all,” Victor Wembanyama said. “But looking back, it’s never really perfect. So it’s pretty satisfying.”
- Fourth-year Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. was sidelined for Saturday’s game in Miami and will miss Monday’s game at Washington as well, per Varun Shankar of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Smith, who sprained his right ankle in Thursday’s comeback win in Orlando, is targeting next Thursday against Golden State for his return to the court, Shankar adds.
Stein’s Latest: Middleton, Irving, Sabonis, Porzingis
Will veteran forward Khris Middleton seek a buyout in the coming days? According to Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link), the Mavericks have essentially left that decision up to Middleton and his camp and would be open to either negotiating the 34-year-old’s release or hanging onto him for the rest of the season.
Middleton, who has dealt with injuries in recent years, is no longer the same player who earned All-Star berths three times in four years from 2019-22, but he has performed pretty well since arriving in Dallas. His performance in Sunday’s win over Indiana – 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting, seven assists, and seven rebounds – was arguably his best of the season.
As Stein writes, the Mavericks have conveyed to Middleton that they’ll be in need of shooting heading into this offseason, so if he sticks around, it’s possible the relationship between the two sides could extend beyond 2025/26. If Middleton instead decides to pursue a buyout, he would want to do so sooner rather than later, since players waived after March 1 don’t retain their playoff eligibility with a new team.
In the event of a buyout, the three-time All-Star would be ineligible to sign with Cleveland, Golden State, or New York, since clubs operating over either tax apron aren’t permitted to sign a player waived during the season who had been earning more than the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($14.1MM). Middleton’s $33.3MM expiring salary far exceeds that figure.
It’s also worth noting that Middleton would forfeit his Bird rights if he agrees to a buyout. While he’ll certainly have to take a pay cut this summer either way, retaining those Bird rights would likely put him in a better position to avoid settling for the veteran’s minimum or something close to it.
Here are a few more items of interest from Stein:
- Although Kyrie Irving won’t return from his torn ACL for the Mavericks until the fall, the club is hopeful that the star guard will be able to take part in at least one or two full-speed practices before the end of this season, Stein writes. Teams typically don’t practice in full during the season unless they have multiple consecutive days off — that will be the case for Dallas on March 19-20, March 28-29, and April 1-2.
- The Kings entertained trading Domantas Sabonis prior to February’s trade deadline, but it’s not considered a lock that they’ll do so again this summer, a source tells Stein. Sacramento’s interest in an offseason Sabonis deal could hinge in large part on where the team lands in the draft lottery and which prospect they select with that pick, Stein explains. Toronto and Washington were among the teams linked to Sabonis earlier this season, though the Wizards pivoted to acquiring Anthony Davis. It’s possible the Raptors would circle back on the Kings big man this offseason if he’s made available again.
- The Warriors‘ hope when they traded for Kristaps Porzingis at the deadline, according to Stein, was that he’d “click” with the team and its medical staff and would be willing to re-sign with Golden State at a more team-friendly price once his current $30.7MM contract expires. However, Porzingis’ availability remains an ongoing concern as he deals with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), creating uncertainty about his future in the Bay Area beyond this season.
Southwest Notes: Irving, Wembanyama, Jordan, Middleton
The Mavericks recently announced that Kyrie Irving would miss the rest of the 2025/26 season, and according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News, the decision was the right one, both for Irving’s health and the team’s long-term success.
Curtis notes that by the time Irving returns to play, nearly 600 days will have elapsed from the time of his last on-court action. While that time off will make it difficult to immediately recapture his previous form, it should give the veteran guard ample time to make sure that his knee is fully healthy before diving into the next era of Mavericks basketball.
Irving has undergone multiple surgeries on his left knee over the years, and given his age and the mileage he has accumulated over his 15-year career, there’s likely additional concern about the possibility of re-injuring the knee should he return too soon.
The Mavs will also be looking to maximize their draft position this summer to add another high-end talent to the duo of Irving and star rookie Cooper Flagg. This will be the last year Dallas controls its own first-round pick until 2031.
Curtis notes that it would have been useful for the team’s two cornerstones to get some time to start building their chemistry, but playing things safe on the injury and lottery fronts should yield even higher benefits over time.
“I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season,” Irving said. “The belief and drive I have inside only grows.”
We have more from around the Southwest Division:
- Victor Wembanyama had an outsized impact on the All-Star game this year, adding a sense of intensity and competitiveness to what is often a less-than-enthusiastic affair. Next, the Spurs‘ star may have his sights set on another event: the Slam Dunk Contest. “I’ll be in the dunk contest one day,” he said after Saturday’s San Antonio victory in which he unleashed a two-handed windmill dunk (Twitter video link via Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports).
- DeAndre Jordan hadn’t played for the Pelicans since October 29 heading into Saturday’s contest against the Sixers. Against Philadelphia, he logged over 31 minutes in a starting role, recording 15 rebounds (five of them offensive) and four blocks. In an article for NOLA.com, Rod Walker called it a “turn back the clock” performance. The blocks total was the highest Jordan has recorded since the 2020/21 season. “I was extremely excited,” Jordan said. “Anytime you can go out there and compete in this league, it’s a gift. It was cool to be able to go out there and be able to play.” After the game, Jordan said he was craving two things: wine and ice.
- Khris Middleton had his best scoring game of the season on Sunday for the Mavericks, putting up 25 points on 11-of-15 shooting while adding seven rebounds and seven assists in a five-point victory over the Pacers. After the game, coach Jason Kidd effusively praised the veteran wing. “A lot of times, you don’t understand how tall he is so he can create space with his height, and mid-range game,” Kidd said, per Curtis (Twitter link). “He can always get his shot off. His ability to playmate, being able to run an offense with him. We got guys layups and wide open shots. He was really good tonight.” Middleton has stepped up with Flagg out, having also scored 18 points in Friday’s loss to the Wolves.
Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving Won’t Return This Season
Star guard Kyrie Irving won’t make his return from an ACL tear this season, the Mavericks announced today in a press release. According to the team, Irving has made “steady progress” in his recovery from ACL reconstruction surgery on his left knee but will continue his rehab work and will wait until the fall to make his comeback.
“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving said in a statement. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows. And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!”
Irving’s agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, also issued a statement to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link) to explain the decision to postpone Kyrie’s return until the start of the 2026/27 season.
“This is about Kyrie being 1000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season,” she said.
Irving tore the ACL in his left knee nearly a year ago, suffering the injury in a March 3 game against Sacramento. He underwent surgery about three-and-a-half weeks later and was ruled out indefinitely.
It’s not uncommon for players to take a full year – or longer – to return from an ACL tear, so it was never considered a sure thing that Irving would be back on the floor this season, even with head coach Jason Kidd making headlines at the start of November by expressing hope that his point guard would be back in 2025 rather than 2026.
While his recovery seemed to be progressing well, the 33-year-old consistently made an effort to keep expectations in check, advising fans last summer to not “hold your breath” on seeing him return during the 2025/26 regular season.
With Dallas out of the playoff picture and retooling its roster around Cooper Flagg after trading Anthony Davis to Washington earlier this month, there was even less urgency to bring back Irving down the stretch. The veteran guard indicated last week that he’d soon provide an update on his status, with Marc Stein reporting that the decision would be a collaborative one between Irving and the Mavs.
Irving, who signed a new three-year, $118MM+ contract with Dallas as a free agent last summer, will earn a $39.5MM guaranteed salary next season, with a $42.4MM player option for 2027/28. If the Mavs fully lean into a youth movement, he could emerge as a trade candidate during the ’26/27 league year, but the team has repeatedly messaged that it has no plans to trade Irving and that it views him as an ideal fit alongside Flagg.
Of course, the organization is also expected to hire a new permanent head of basketball operations at some point in the coming months, so it’s possible that executive will hold a different view. But for now, there has been no indication Irving won’t still be a Maverick when the ’26/27 season tips off.
While it’s in the Mavs’ best interest to lose more than they win during this season’s final two months in order to maximize their position in the draft lottery, they won’t have the same incentive beginning next season. The team doesn’t control its own first-round picks for the four years from 2027-30.
Prior to the ACL injury last season, Irving continued to perform at an All-Star level, averaging 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 36.1 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .473/.401/.916.