Mavericks G Kyrie Irving sidelined until 2026-27 season

Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will not play this season as he continues to recover from knee surgery, the team confirmed Wednesday.

The nine-time All-Star, who had surgery last March to repair a torn left ACL, is expected to return in 2026-27.

Irving, who turns 34 next month, is making "steady progress in rehabilitation and will remain actively engaged with the team through the remainder of the season," the Mavericks said.

"This decision wasn't easy, but it's the right one," Irving said in a statement. "I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.

"And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who've torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!"

Irving missed the final 20 games of the 2024-25 season after the injury. He averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals in 50 games (all starts).

The Mavericks are 75-53 with Irving in the lineup since he joined the team in a February 2023 trade. They are 42-75 without him, including 19-35 this season.

Irving has averaged 23.7 points, 5.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 779 career games (all starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2011-17), Boston Celtics (2017-19), Brooklyn Nets (2020-23) and Mavericks. He was the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and the 2011-12 NBA Rookie of the Year and won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2015-16.