Dec 27, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Another ideal injury update has been revealed for Mavericks star Kyrie Irving

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Sep 24, 2025 6:15 PM ET

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is currently in the process of recovering from ACL surgery after tearing it against the Sacramento Kings in March. He waited until the end of the month to have surgery, but that doesn't seem to be impacting his recovery.

Irving told TMZ last week that the recovery is going "incredibly well," and now DallasHoopsJournal.com is reporting that sources have told them that Irving's recovery is "ahead of schedule."

There still isn't an established timeline for Irving while he is out, but ESPN's Shams Charania reported months ago that people believed Irving would be back around January. At the time, that timeline seemed ambitious, but if he really is ahead of schedule, that will be HUGE for the Mavericks.

Dallas signed D'Angelo Russell to help hold the fort down until Irving returns, and that signing was met with mixed reviews. He's coming off the worst season of his career, shooting just 31.4% from three last year. The Mavericks desperately need reliable three-point shooting and playmaking, and Russell just may not be that guy anymore.

Irving also signed a three-year extension this offseason to remain with the Mavs: three years, $119 million. That lowered his cap hit for this season, which allowed the taxpayer mid-level exception to open up, which is what the team used to sign Russell.

Dallas Plans to Use Cooper Flagg as Kyrie Irving Replacement

The Dallas Mavericks magically won the first overall pick, and instead of reaching for a guard like Dylan Harper, and the team still desperately needs a guard, they went with the best player on the board: Cooper Flagg.

Jason Kidd plans to give Flagg the ball immediately. They tinkered with it in his two games in the NBA Summer League, and he showed success with it in the second game against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 31 points. It's also something that has been a focus point for Flagg this offseason with his trainer, as was detailed a few days ago. Flagg will be operating as a point forward type at least until Irving returns from injury. They're hoping that will be enough to remain competitive in a deep Western Conference.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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