Kyrie Irving Will Miss Rest Of Season Recovering From Torn ACL

The Dallas Mavericks have announced that Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the season recovering from his torn ACL.

Irving suffered this injury last season. The Mavericks were hesitant to keep an Irving return off the table before this announcement. Despite this, an Irving return this season was unlikely given his injury history and age.

The Mavericks are the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference with a 19-35 record. The Mavericks already committed to playing younger players by trading Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards. Irving’s extended recovery is just another sign of this trend.

The Mavericks signed D’Angelo Russell this offseason to play point guard while Irving was out. Russell averaged a career-low 10 points per game before being traded to the Wizards. The Wizards are currently working on a buyout for Russell.

Brandon Williams has stepped up as the starting PG. He is currently averaging 12.7 points per game. Williams went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft and was signed by the Portland Trail Blazers. The Mavericks signed him in 2023. 

The Mavericks also traded for Tyus Jones to give themselves a veteran presence at PG. Jones averaged 12 points per game with the Wizards in 2023-24. This season, he averaged three points per game with the Orlando Magic before being traded to the Mavericks. Jones has played three games with the Mavericks so far and also averages three points per game.

The Mavericks play their first game of the second half on Feb. 20, taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Mavericks’ primary goal for the second half of the season is to develop Cooper Flagg. Flagg is currently averaging 20.4 points per game. Flagg is currently dealing with a foot strain that left him out of the Rising Stars Game.