ESPN admits harsh truth about Kyrie Irving’s long-awaited Mavericks return

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that Kyrie Irving will be cleared to return from his ACL tear following the All-Star break, but whether he plays is another story. MacMahon reported that Irving's return will depend on where the Mavericks are in the standings, and even if Irving is ready to come back in March, Dallas could decide to keep him on the sidelines.

"Kyrie will be medically cleared at some point after the All-Star break to return," MacMahon said. "Whether or not he plays this season is a related but different conversation, right? It might be in the franchise's best interest for neither of those guys to play down the stretch."

Irving's return will ultimately depend on how the Mavericks are playing. If they're still in the hunt for a spot in the playoffs, then him playing this season is more likely. If not, and Dallas has fallen into a hole that is far too deep for them to come out of, then Irving could get shut down for the remainder of the season in an effort to increase their lottery odds.

Kyrie Irving will be healthy enough to return — but will he?

The Mavericks have already made it clear that Irving is untouchable in trade talks, along with Cooper Flagg, and the best plan for the team's future would be to tank for the remainder of the season with hopes that they can move up in the lottery. Dallas got the ultimate lifeline last season when they received the No. 1 overall pick despite only having a 1.8 percent chance of doing so, and more luck like this would be franchise-altering.

The Mavericks desperately need to pair a young co-star with Flagg, and the best way to do this is through the draft. The 2026 draft class is stacked, with players like AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer, and Darryn Peterson at the top of the board, and landing any of these players would help Dallas form one of the best young duos in the NBA.

But it won't be as easy as last season.

The Mavericks can't bet on the luck of the draw again this time around, and falling down the standings would be in their best interest. In turn, this directly connects to Kyrie Irving's return.

If he does come back this season, naturally, the Mavericks are going to win some games. Dallas is 75-53 in games that Irving plays in, and they're obviously a much better team when he's on the floor.

They've missed his elite shot creation and calmness in the clutch all season long, and his presence back in the lineup will immediately stabilize the group. The Mavericks have needed guard depth badly this season, and pairing Irving with Cooper Flagg, and potentially Anthony Davis, could lead Dallas to go on an end-of-season run.

Despite the nonstop trade rumors surrounding Davis, the Mavericks could ultimately elect to keep him. He avoided surgery for the left-hand injury that he suffered last week, and he could end up returning toward the end of the season.

Like Irving's potential return, Davis' return to the floor will also depend on where Dallas is in the playoff race.

"Where are the Mavericks in the standings," MacMahon said when talking about Davis' return. "What are the circumstances? Are they 15 games under? Well, it's probably not going to make a ton of sense to have him come back. By the way, I'm going to tell you the same thing about Kyrie Irving."

The Mavericks are taking a similar approach with Irving as they are with Davis (if he remains in Dallas), and Patrick Dumont's dream of seeing Kyrie Irving, Cooper Flagg, and Anthony Davis play together could never come to fruition. There are a lot of moving parts for the second half of Dallas' season, but let's set things straight.

Kyrie Irving will be ready to come back later this season, as ESPN reported, but there will be many other factors that go into a decision to bring him back. The Mavericks are no longer the NBA Finals contender that they were two seasons ago. They are now having to think of the big picture with Flagg as their leader, and benching Irving for the final stretch of the season could end up being the best move for now and the future.