The Dallas Mavericks are eight months removed from controversially trading Luka Doncic away, so they are looking forward to prove themselves right with their decision to pivot into more of a defensive identity. The Mavericks have so much frontcourt depth that all they need is some quality backcourt play to get them back to playoff contention. With Kyrie Irving out until perhaps January, the onus will be on D'Angelo Russell to hold the fort in the meantime.
But it looks like Irving is closer to returning than one would expect. Irving was not just present for the Mavericks' Media Day session on Monday, he was also in attendance for their first day of training camp. While he's not yet taking contact in practice and he doesn't even seem to be back in full training just yet, him being there already means a lot and is already so promising for the Mavs — especially when he was already seen shooting some hoops alongside some of his teammates.
Kyrie Irving is on the floor with the #Mavs after their first training camp practice. He’s attempting catch-and-shoot 3s with Caleb Martin and Dwight Powell. pic.twitter.com/GgTInc1xzd
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) September 30, 2025
The Mavericks' hopes of being a serious contender next year will be resting on Irving's shoulders. As much as Dallas can overwhelm the opposition with their size and defensive prowess, they might have a hard time generating enough point from the perimeter for it to matter if they don't get Irving back to full strength.
But it is definitely a very good sign that Irving is back out with his teammates on the court. This doesn't mean that he'll be back sooner than anticipated, but him looking like he's one step closer to an official return for the Mavericks is definitely a sight for sore eyes.
Mavericks look to succeed in the post-Luka Doncic era
Even in hindsight, the Mavericks' decision to trade away Luka Doncic still seems asinine. Sure, they got Cooper Flagg after they missed the playoffs when the injury bug ravaged the entire team towards the end of the 2024-25 season, but it's still befuddling that they traded away one of the five-best players in the league without even drumming up a bidding war.
But now, the Mavericks, despite putting the Doncic era in the rearview mirror, have reasons to be hopeful for the future. They have a stout defensive core that can match up with any team in the league, and a star duo of Irving and Anthony Davis, while it would have been much better five years ago, isn't very shabby anyway.
The hope, of course, is that Irving returns to superstar form when he's back out on the court, which is not a guarantee considering he's a small guard coming off a torn ACL.
