And just like that, Mavs fans' hopes of a playoff push probably just went down the drain. Despite hopes that Dallas' superstar point guard could return from his devastating ACL tear as early as January of next year according to Shams, Kyrie put some water on the fire himself in a recent live stream:
"“Don’t hold your breath on that...You know what I’m saying? That doesn’t mean I won’t be back, it’s just — I don’t want to make any predictions on when I’m going to be back. I just want to be back 150,000% better.”"Kyrie Irving
In short, despite initial hopes that Irving would have as speedy a return as possible to the court since his injury in early March, the Mavs will likely be without one of their two All-Stars for most, if not all the upcoming season. And regardless of Marc Stein reporting great news regarding Anthony Davis' own health, history shows that Dallas' other great pillar can basically be pencilled in to miss double-digit games next season.
Patience might serve the Mavericks well in the end
This news cements the Dallas Mavericks as Cooper Flagg's team, at least for the upcoming season. He was drafted to be a superstar, and if Dallas' primary ball-dominant lead is out for the foreseeable future, Flagg will be relied upon heavily for not just his defense or IQ, but for everything he offers, including his proven ability to potentially run an NBA offense.
In fact, Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor went as far as to highlight Flagg's ball handling in the pick-and-roll above the offensive versatility and go-to scoring potential that everyone already sees, giving him rare potential as a true point forward. And if the only primary ball handler Flagg has to compete with is a clearance rack Kyrie Irving in D'Angelo Russell, rest assured he'll have the keys to Dallas' offense more often than not. Count that for double the development rate too if AD spends any extended time off the court.
Mavs fans: this isn't going to be a good year. Lottery pick or not, Flagg headlines a god-awful roster, even if AD plays. The Mavericks' first-round pick next year will most likely be in the lottery. But the 2026 class is supposed to be strong. And you'll get one of the clearest runways, the greenest of lights, for a No. 1 pick since LeBron James. You'll get a Rookie of the Year, a young superstar in the making, quicker than usual.
Yes, Kyrie Irving might have just dashed Dallas' playoff hopes for 2026. But he might also be co-signing the rapid ascent of the NBA's next legend.