Kyrie Irving injury update: Mavs star to miss time with back injury

The Dallas Mavericks can't catch a break right now. After an impressive run to the NBA Finals last season, the team had equally high hopes for 2024-25 after adding Klay Thompson in the offseason and making some sneakily good free agent signings, as well. And when the team has been healthy this year, things have gone great — the team just can't seem to stay healthy. Luka Doncic has been sidelined for a considerable portion of the season, and now Kyrie Irving will join him on the injury report. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Irving will miss "at least 1 to 2 weeks" with a "bulging disk in his back," which sounds horribly painful, if you ask me.

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Dallas needs role players to step up

Quentin Grimes, you're up once again. In his first year with Dallas, Grimes has been a difference-maker in general, but he's been a savior picking up offensive slack with Doncic out of the lineup. With Kyrie set to miss some time as well, Grimes might need to be the top scoring option for Dallas, which probably isn't fair to him — but he has shown the ability to light up defenses this year, scoring 20-plus five times.

Guard Jaden Hardy will also see a massive minutes boost. In and out of the lineup early on, Hardy's minutes have increased as the season has progressed, and now he'll be thrust into an important role in the Mavs backcourt. The team has always believed in Hardy, and now's his chance to prove the team right. Hardy has played at least 20 minutes in his past three games, the first time this season he's done that. Expect that playing time to rise even more in coming weeks as the Mavs try to navigate life without their two stars.