Mavericks are flirting with a dangerous Kyrie Irving ultimatum

All signs have been pointing toward Kyrie Irving wanting to come back this season following his torn ACL last March, but NBA insider Tim MacMahon recently posited that there are still projected to be discussions between the Mavericks and Irving regarding postponing his comeback until next season.

"The return date of Kyrie Irving, the co-star on the Mavs' 2024-25 NBA Finals team, as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in early March remains to be determined," MacMahon reported. "He has yet to be cleared to practice, and while Irving has made it clear that he hopes to play this season, sources anticipate that, considering the Mavs' place in the standings, there will be discussions about postponing his comeback until next season."

Given Dallas' record at 18-26 as well as the fact Anthony Davis may not be on this team past the trade deadline, hope to make even the Play-In Tournament is starting to look doubtful for the Mavericks. Pending how the next few weeks go, the most logical move the Mavericks could make with Irving would be to sit him for the rest of the season, especially since players typically take a few months longer to feel like themselves again following their return from an ACL tear.

There are risks in any path the Mavs take with Kyrie Irving this season

However, after being out for nearly a year, it'd be very understandable if Irving wants to get back on the court soon, even if the Mavericks aren't in the playoff hunt. Irving, who turns 34 years old toward the end of March, obviously has a lot of tread on his tires, but he's a competitor at heart, so there's a good chance he at least wants to get back on the court to establish some rhythm ahead of next season.

The Mavericks could go the route of demanding Irving sit for the rest of the season, but they'd run the risk of upsetting him if he still wants to play. This would be terrible for business, considering how bad the league-wide perception is regarding how the Mavericks treat their star players following the Luka Doncic trade.

Irving's done too much for the Mavericks and the city of Dallas for them to try and dictate whether he can play or not, granted he's medically cleared to return, so the Mavericks would be smart to be collaborative in this process with Irving.

The Mavericks and their management are probably already weighing the pros and cons of Irving returning down the stretch of the season, and while they should definitely present these factors to Irving, they should leave the decision up to Irving regarding whether he returns or not.

This question could sort itself out if the Mavericks fall into a mudslide of losses in the coming weeks, which could prompt Irving to want to save his legs for next season, especially if Davis has already been traded. However, Mavericks fans who want the team to do everything in their power to tank this season may need to brace themselves, as there's still a solid chance Irving wants to get some run under his belt this season, regardless of what the state of the team is once he's medically cleared.

The Mavericks clearly still have big plans for Irving, as they are treating him as untouchable and clearly want him to be the lead guard at the genesis of the Cooper Flagg era, but all factors must be weighed when considering his potential return. The Mavericks can't force Irving's hand if he really wants to play, but they definitely need to instill some sort of load management plan for him if he returns, especially if they start to lose traction in the standings soon.