Mavericks Address Kyrie Irving News on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Jan 22, 2026 6:54 PM ET

Kyrie Irving remains without a timetable for the Dallas Mavericks as he continues to rehab an ACL injury in his left knee. Previous reports have indicated that Irving could be back at some point in March and that he hopes to play this season. The Mavs, however, have refused to provide a firm timetable on the 33-year-old’s return to action.

On Thursday, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that Dallas could push Irving’s return further back. According to MacMahon, “there will be discussions about postponing his comeback until next season.”

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd caught wind of the latest report on his star point guard, and Kidd decided to address the rumors on Thursday.

Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd high fives guard Kyrie Irving (11) during the third quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves.© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Kidd spoke to reporters ahead of Dallas’ game against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. When asked about Irving's status, the Mavs coach acknowledged the latest report on the nine-time All-Star.

“Well, there isn’t anything new, I know there’s a lot of speculation going on,” Kidd said, via Joey Mistretta of ClutchPoints. “But he’s working extremely hard from the rehab… Spending some time with him yesterday, he’s in good spirits, he feels great.

“At some point, there will be a timeline but right now there is no timeline… Don’t take this out of context, but he wants to get back, he wants to play. But when you’re coming back from an ACL, it’s a time thing… At some point there will be a schedule.”

Kidd neither denied nor confirmed the reports about the Mavs potentially postponing Irving’s return. He added that a schedule could be available after the All-Star break, but again, there was no guarantee from the Mavericks coach.

The Mavs enter Thursday’s game against the Warriors with an 18-26 record. While they have won three in a row, Dallas remains 12th in the Western Conference. They are not contenders by any means, and this could serve as added motivation for them to delay Irving’s return.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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