Mavericks have made their stance on Kyrie Irving crystal clear

Just over a month after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks were hit with another major blow that ultimately destroyed their season. Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in a game against the Sacramento Kings, and their dreams of making a deep playoff run were turned to dust.

Entering the offseason, among Dallas' main priorities was replacing Irving by signing a stopgap point guard in free agency to run the show while Irving is sidelined. They ended up signing D'Angelo Russell to a two-year deal to fill this role, and even though the Mavs were in some trade rumors for some guards such as Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball, and Collin Sexton, they stood pat with the roster they have, along with re-signing Dante Exum.

Dallas not making a trade for another guard to help lead the offense while Irving is out shows how strongly they feel about him returning this season, and they seem to have all the faith in the world in the 33-year-old point guard and his return to the hardwood.

Mavericks seem confident in a Kyrie Irving return next season

Irving has been working this hard this offseason to rehab his knee, but fans' panic about his injury skyrocketed when he wouldn't confirm if he thought that he would return before the 2026 NBA Playoffs. This was a smart move by Irving, as he didn't create expectations in fans' minds by guessing his return date, and the Mavericks have to believe that he will be back at some point next season.

Earlier this summer, Nico Harrison revealed that Irving was ahead of schedule in terms of his recovery, and that was the best possible news for Mavs fans. Irving wants to get back onto the floor badly, as he hates sitting out, but he isn't going to rush back by any means.

He is only going to return when he is 100 percent healthy, and once he is back on the floor, it's going to be full speed ahead for Dallas as they pursue their second NBA Finals win in franchise history.

Drafting Cooper Flagg slightly changed Harrison's vision, as he was gifted one of the most talented 18-year-olds this league has ever seen and a shot at contention for years to come, but it's undeniable that he would like to win a ring within the next few years as well. Dallas is in win-now mode, and if they thought that there was any chance that Irving would miss the entire season, they would've probably traded for another guard this offseason.

This isn't to say that the Mavericks won't make a trade during the regular season, as they could make a trade for a guard before the trade deadline if their current plan doesn't work. Daniel Gafford seems like a potential trade candidate due to his tradable contract and decent trade value, and he could likely net the Mavs a high-level guard if they explored moving him.

Gafford was in some trade rumors last season, and with his three-year extension narrowly missing the six-month trade restriction mark, it seems like he could be someone Harrison explores trading if they desperately need an upgrade in the backcourt to help replace Irving's production.

The Mavericks only signing Russell and Exum while not trading for another guard showed the entire world how they feel about Irving, and fans should be encouraged that they seem to feel so confident about him playing at some point next season. Dallas would've traded for someone if there was any doubt in their mind that Irving may miss the entire 2025-26 season, and he should be back on the floor at some point in 2026.