Mavs' Kyrie Irving Out vs. Grizzlies with Sprained Foot Injury
Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies with a foot sprain, the team announced.
Irving deal with a groin injury during the preseason, but he had played the first two games of the 2023-24 season while averaging 19.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. Dallas has won both games.
The eight-time All-Star inked a three-year, $126 million contract with the Mavs last offseason after landing in Dallas following a monster trade with the Brooklyn Nets before last season's trade deadline. Over 60 games with the Nets and Mavs, Irving posted 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
Dallas certainly hopes a partnership with superstar guard Luka Dončić coupled with roster moves to shore up weak rebounding and defense will lead to a bounceback season after a disappointing 11th-place finish.
The year before, Dallas made the Western Conference Finals. The Mavs have the talent to run it back, but they need both Irving and Dončić to get that done.
Dallas does have some talent in reserve led by Jaden Hardy, who figures to be the primary replacement for Irving every time he's out of the lineup. He notably started for Irving to kick off the T-Wolves game. Dante Exum received the most minutes off the bench from the guards.
