Mavericks' Kyrie Irving dilemma spirals out of control faster with every loss

After last night's loss to the LA Clippers, the Dallas Mavericks are now 3-10 on the season. This season is going far worse than anyone could've expected, and every game that Dallas loses gives Kyrie Irving less of a reason to play this year.

Irving tore his ACL in March of last season, and while signs are looking promising for him to be healthy enough to return at some point this season, the incentive of making a late-season return does not have the same reward as it once did. It was once expected that Irving was going to have a chance to be the ultimate swing factor and lead the Mavs on a strong end-of-season push all the way to the playoffs, but the chances of that happening look slim.

It's nearly impossible to come back from 3-10, especially considering how beat up Dallas is with injuries, and they could fall into a bottomless pit if the losses keep piling up. The Mavericks have already been in rumors of making some big changes after firing Nico Harrison, and Irving may end up not being in their long-term plans, depending on what other teams around the league are willing to offer for him.

Mavericks face a brutal decision as Kyrie Irving works toward a return

Jason Kidd made it clear on Wednesday night that their plans for Irving and his recovery didn't change after Harrison was relieved of his duties on Tuesday, but this is definitely something that the team will need to revisit once his return gets closer. Every decision that they make for the rest of the season could have serious implications on their future, and with the Mavericks being so cautious with Anthony Davis and his return from a calf strain, they could take the same approach with Irving.

"No, everybody’s doing their part to get back," Kidd told reporters when asked if their plan with Irving's recovery changed after Harrison was fired. "Everybody wants to play. Everyone who is hurt, the progress is good reports, at some point, hopefully, we’ll see Kai in a uniform. He wants to play. He’s working extremely hard, mentally and physically, to get back to help us…He’s antsy cause he wants to help."

Irving is a competitor and wants to do whatever it takes to help the Mavericks win some games this season, but the bigger picture has to be considered before he takes a step back onto the floor. The pressure of the DFW metroplex is now on Patrick Dumont and Mark Cuban's shoulders, and they have to do what is best for the long-term future of the Mavericks when handling Irving's potential comeback.

Irving just signed a three-year, $118 million deal before this season, and it's already clear that the Mavericks aren't going to be in the hunt to make the playoffs unless something drastic changes. They'd have to win seven games in a row to even get to .500, and it's already seeming like this season is going to be a gap year.

Irving coming back and getting re-injured when the Mavericks have nothing to play for would be an absolute nightmare, especially considering that they just signed him to an extension to make him a future face of the franchise, and the last thing they need is for him to miss more time. Dallas is going to need his shot creation badly in year two of the Cooper Flagg era, and not rushing him back and bringing him back at the beginning of the 2026-27 season may be the best plan of action.

On top of the undeniable risk that comes with bringing back Irving this season, it may end up being in the team's best interest to lose games by the time that he is ready to come back.

The 2026 NBA Draft class is loaded, and Dallas' 2026 first-round pick is their only own first-round pick that they own until 2031. The Mavericks have to land a good young player to build around Flagg, and moving up higher in the lottery would give them a better chance to do that.

Being able to add someone like Darryn Peterson, Cam Boozer, or AJ Dybantsa would give the Mavericks one of the scariest young duos in the league alongside Flagg, and the reward of moving up in the lottery clearly outweighs the risk of Irving coming back this season.

At this point, it seems likely that Irving will return once he is ready, but the Mavericks' approach to this could change on the fly. Dallas broke their bad string of lottery luck just over six months ago when they landed the No. 1 overall pick despite having 1.8 percent odds of doing so, and Mavericks fans may find themself checking the lottery standings rather than the playoff standings as the season winds down in April.

With the 2025-26 season being a disaster thus far, the long-term value of sitting Irving and allowing him to ramp up for the 2026-27 season may outweigh squeezing 20 games out of him this season.