Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving delivered an encouraging update amid recovery from a torn ACL injury, which ended his season earlier this year. After ESPN's Stephen A Smith claimed the Mavericks' deep playoff run is dependant on Irving and All-Star Anthony Davis' health throughout 2025-26, many are wondering how good Dallas will be next season. It'll be the first full Mavs season since trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In many ways, it's the start of a new era for the Mavericks, and Irving, five months removed from post-surgery, gave fans some good news about his progress on Irving's Twitch.
“I was in the gym doing a little bit more as well. I was in the gym, doing a little bit more,” Irving said. “I wanna tell you exactly what I was doing because it's all about incremental growth, but I can share with ya'll some good days it was some good days in the gym. I'm healing up great. This date today, on the 26th; this will be five months post-surgery.”
"I was in the gym doing a little bit more… I'm healing up great. This date today, the 26th… this will be 5 months post-surgery."
Kyrie Irving shares where he's at in recovery from a torn ACL 🗣️
(via kyrieirving/Twitch)pic.twitter.com/bdbzFtyia2
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 27, 2025
Irving's return and the NBA debut of the Mavericks' first overall pick in this year's draft, Cooper Flagg, are two of the high anticipated storylines heading into next season for Dallas. The Mavs also acquired D'Angelo Russell to fill in as the starting point guard in place of Irving. Dallas also signed Kyrie and Daniel Gafford to respective contract extensions.
Irving agreed to a three-year, $119 million extension. Gafford signed a three-year extension worth $54 million during the offseason.
Stephen A Smith's bold Mavericks prediction for the 2025-26 season
ESPN's Stephen A Smith is giving Kyrie Irving after injury and the Mavericks the benefit of the doubt heading into the upcoming season. Despite having to face the defending champion Thunder, the 2023 champion Nuggets, and the revamped Rockets, who acquired All-Star Kevin Durant over the summer, all in the same Western Conference, Smith is predicting the Mavs can evolve into championship contenders.
Smith revealed if Irving and All-Star Anthony Davis are healthy, the Mavericks have a chance to compete for a title, per ESPN's First Take.
“If Anthony Davis, if Kyrie Irving is healthy and [AD] brings his A game, the Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA championship,” Smith said. “That's a big if. It's fluid; it can change. But it's legit, and everybody knows it. Because the one thing we're not going to say about AD is that the brother can't play.”
"If Anthony Davis, if Kyrie Irving is healthy and [AD] brings his A game, the Dallas Mavericks will win the NBA championship. That's a big if."
– Stephen A. Smith 👀
(via @FirstTake)pic.twitter.com/7NRQ3RqIfU https://t.co/YkahXjGueR
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 22, 2025
It'll be intriguing to see where the Mavs stand among the Western Conference's elite teams.
