Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving will miss the remainder of the season as he continues to recover from knee surgery, per Shams Charania.
The nine-time All-Star had the surgery last March due to a torn left ACL and expected to return for the 2026-27 season.
Dallas announced on Wednesday that Irving is making steady progress in rehabilitation and will remain actively engaged with the team through the remainder of the season.
“This is about Kyrie being 1,000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season,” his agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Despite declaring to compete next season, there is still optimism that Irving will return to practice at some point this season, allowing him to begin building on-court chemistry with star rookie Cooper Flagg, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.
The 33-year-old guard also missed the final 20 games of last season after suffering the knee injury.
“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one. 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,” Irving said in a statement.
“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!”
