Mavericks must pump the brakes on hyped Kyrie Irving return despite latest update

The Dallas Mavericks are on the cusp of wrapping up their Las Vegas Summer League slate of games after playing their third of four guaranteed games. While the Mavericks were without Cooper Flagg as he was officially ruled out of the rest of the Summer League, it only took him two games to prove why he is NBA-ready.

Throughout his two games, Flagg consistently impressed fans with his aggressive demeanor, particularly on the offensive end, where he didn't hesitate to take the ball. Before the Summer League began, Jason Kidd and the Mavericks expected Flagg to take on a bigger role in handling the ball and controlling the tempo of the offense, due to Kyrie Irving likely missing much of next season and their lack of guards on the roster.

While plenty of eyes have been on Flagg this past weekend, Nico Harrison recently gave an interview during Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets, where he gave a surprising Irving injury update that instantly got fans excited for next season.

Irving could still miss much of next season despite latest Harrison update

In a recent interview given during Monday's game on NBA TV against the Hornets, Harrison was asked about Irving's rehab process, where he told the audience that Irving was ahead of schedule.

"Kyrie's ahead of schedule, but we kind of knew he would be because of the way he attacks his rehab," Harrison said. "But we don't want to rush it as much as he wants to rush it."

While this information might sound great at face value, Harrison made sure to let everyone know that the Mavericks and Irving are still planning on taking their time when it comes to his rehab process. Irving has no doubt progressed further in his journey to get back on the basketball court over the last month, but he must remain cautious, especially considering it's only been a few months since he received knee surgery.

ACL tears typically take around 11 months to be fully healed from, and after receiving his surgery in early April, it only makes sense if Irving returns after the all-star break, despite signs showing that he could return early.

Irving joining the Mavericks early would obviously be huge for the team as they hope to compete for a championship, but fans can't hold their breath on an early return from such a gruesome injury. Irving has already shown that he wants to be on the floor as soon as possible, but at the age of 33, Irving needs to take his time.

Despite Irving missing much of next season, his absence still leaves the Mavericks without a reliable primary creator outside of D'Angelo Russell on the offensive end. With this in mind, Dallas expects Flagg to take on a bigger role when it comes to playmaking and creation within the offense, which will be the perfect time to do it while Irving remains on the bench.

Even with Irving returning, Flagg and the Mavericks have the perfect opportunity to create an offensive powerhouse if Flagg does progress within his offensive game. Irving returning to the floor would give Flagg less of a chance to work on his bag, but it would give the 18-year-old a better opportunity to play within a winning system with a future Hall-of-Fame point guard.