The Dallas Mavericks have stumbled out of the gates to open up the 2025 NBA season, currently sitting at 2-4 ahead of Monday evening's matchup against the Houston Rockets. Rookie Cooper Flagg has had some moments through the season's first two weeks, but injury concerns have already begun to flare up for Dallas, with Anthony Davis already finding himself out of the lineup due to a leg ailment.
Joining Davis on the sidelines is Kyrie Irving, who tore his ACL in March but is expected to rejoin the team at some point this season. Recently, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd raised eyebrows when he proclaimed that Irving could be back in the lineup before the calendar turns to 2026, per The Athletic, and now, NBA insider Marc Stein has provided the latest update in that department.
“I continue to be told that there is no firm return date in mind for Irving, who sustained a torn ACL in his left knee March 3 against Sacramento and had surgery in late March. Any timeline, as relayed to me over the weekend, must continue to be described as ‘fluid' even though the 33-year-old does look undeniably good every time he is seen in public with a ball in his hands,” reported Stein on his Substack.
A huge addition for the Mavericks
Once Kyrie Irving is back in the lineup, things will get a whole lot easier on the offensive end for the Dallas Mavericks, which has been a struggle thus far. Cooper Flagg will no longer be tasked with trying to handle NBA point guard responsibilities, a bizarre decision that head coach Jason Kidd made in his NBA debut against the San Antonio Spurs.
Meanwhile, pressure will be alleviated from Davis, and the Mavericks will have one of the elite scoring weapons of this generation at their disposal on offense. Whether that will be enough to make them true contenders in a crowded Western Conference remains to be seen.
Dallas and Houston are set to take the floor at 8:00 PM ET on Monday.
