Jason Kidd finally gives the Kyrie Irving update Mavericks fans are desperate for

There have been plenty of mixed signals and varying reports when it comes to Kyrie Irving's potential return from the ACL tear he suffered back in March, and Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd recently set the record straight with his most revealing update of the season on the star guard.

"We just can't wait to get Kai back, at some point," Kidd said before Saturday night's game against the Detroit Pistons. "Hopefully it's in the year of '25, not '26. We'll see what happens."

This is an extremely optimistic update from Kidd, as he teased the possibility that Irving could return before January for Dallas, and this would be a game-changer for the Mavericks. They need him as bad as ever, and their record reflects that.

Jason Kidd breaks the heavy silence on Kyrie Irving's return

Through six games, Dallas is 2-4 on the year, which makes them one of the worst teams in the Western Conference record-wise, with only the New Orleans Pelicans having a worse record. While Cooper Flagg has shown plenty of promise as the future face of the franchise, their guard play has struggled, with their offense being the biggest issue.

The Mavericks have the 30th-ranked offense in the NBA (104.2 points per 100 possessions), and Irving is clearly missed. Their shot creation has been one of their main weaknesses to begin the season, and they have to find some flow over the next few months to make the playoffs a stronger possibility.

They can't expect to go on a wild end-of-season run this year like they did in 2024 in route to their third-ever NBA Finals appearance, and they have to start stacking some wins early.

The timing of Irving's return will likely end up being the biggest swing factor of the season, as they'll look like a completely different team with him in the lineup, but Mavericks fans must also avoid putting too much pressure on his shoulders. Irving is 33 years old and is coming off one of the most severe injuries of his entire career, and he can't be expected to save the season by himself.

Kidd's comment doesn't mean that an Irving return is guaranteed, but it does seem like there is a level of confidence that he will at least make a return this season. During the offseason, Irving wouldn't confirm or deny if he would be returning before the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and his mindset all along has been that he will return when he is ready.

Neither Irving nor the Mavericks have put a date on his return, and Kidd has been firm in his stance that he is not "ahead of schedule." He has been adamant that Irving is right where he needs to be in his recovery, and his update over the weekend is great news when speculating about when he could return.

Irving returning at some point during the 2025-26 season seems like a given at this point, especially with how well his recovery has gone, and the Mavericks clearly need their star point guard back in the lineup as soon as possible.