Kyrie Irving injury news finally sparks hope after unsettling Mavericks update

Last week, panic struck Dallas Mavericks fans as Kyrie Irving dropped an interesting injury update while on stream. Irving refused to confirm or deny if he would return from his ACL tear by the 2026 NBA Playoffs, which was honestly a smart and fair decision by him, considering that he has no idea when he will return, but Mavs fans took this quote literally and ran with it.

Less than a week later, Irving nonverbally provided an injury update that was much more promising than his former one, as a video surfaced from his stream of him dribbling a basketball and shooting a jumper outdoors.

This is an excellent sign, as it could indicate that he is inching toward doing some on-court in the near future, and him missing all of next season seems like a reality that was never even in the cards.

Irving shows early recovery signs by shooting jumpers after ACL tear

Irving has no timetable for a return yet, as it is impossible to predict when he will be fully recovered since he had the ACL surgery on March 26, over three weeks after he went down on March 3, and it hasn't even been four months since he had his surgery. Regardless of how small an update a video of Irving shooting jumpers may seem, he is clearly trending in the right direction, and Mavericks fans will take any good news they can get about Irving and his recovery.

He likely still has a long way to go until he can begin cutting and going through full on-court workouts, but even having the stability to shoot a jumper is a good sign.

It is clear that he is taking his recovery seriously, as he wants to return to the floor as badly as anyone, but it's also evident that he is going to take his time as he recovers from one of the most catastrophic injuries that an athlete can endure. Irving is only going to return when he knows that he is fully healthy, and the Mavericks have no reason to rush him back.

Dallas just signed him to a three-year contract ahead of next season, and with them locking him down as a future cornerstone of the franchise, they must ensure that he comes back healthier than ever, ready to help push for a title. Nico Harrison traded Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis with the belief that Davis and Irving could help bring Dallas a title within the next few years, and now that Cooper Flagg is in the mix, they have a better chance than ever to turn this dream into a reality.

But in order to reach the promised land, they are going to need Irving to be fully healthy and playing at an elite level, and the only way that can happen is if he can get a full recovery without feeling like he is being rushed. Irving's statement on his stream about not knowing if he will be back for the playoffs next season shows that this will be the exact approach that he will take, and the fact that he is able to shoot a jumper already is a great sign.