Kyrie Irving cleared from ACL, set for Mavericks return — SkimNews
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- Kyrie Irving said he is under no physical restrictions from the torn ACL in his left knee sustained March 3, 2025, calling the 19-month layoff "probably the best thing that happened to me" and adding: "I'm ready to go out there and kick some butt."
- Masai Ujiri, hired as Mavericks president in early May, said Irving is "right there" health-wise, while the 34-year-old Irving enters his 16th NBA season as a nine-time All-Star.
- Dusty May was hired in late June to replace Jason Kidd after leading Michigan to last season's NCAA title, becoming the first coach to jump directly from college to an NBA head job since John Beilein left for the Cavaliers in 2019.
- Cooper Flagg, last season's unanimous Rookie of the Year, said he and Irving built chemistry over the summer and called their upcoming on-court pairing "going to be amazing."
- Dallas finished 26-56 last season — its worst record in eight years — and opens preseason with two games against the Houston Rockets in Macao, China, on Oct. 9 and 11 before the regular season begins Oct. 21 at Houston and Oct. 24 at home vs. the San Antonio Spurs.
- The Mavericks re-signed Dwight Powell, who originally joined the club in December 2014 via trade from the Boston Celtics during his rookie season.
Why it matters: The Mavericks' Oct. 9 preseason opener in Macao gives Dallas just two games to integrate a first-time NBA coach (Dusty May), a new team president (Masai Ujiri), and 34-year-old Kyrie Irving coming off 19 months sidelined — all while the franchise tries to recover from its worst eight-year finish at 26-56.
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