Mavs' Kyrie Irving Helped to Locker Room, Ruled Out with Knee Injury vs. Kings

The Dallas Mavericks announced guard Kyrie Irving suffered a left knee sprain during the first quarter of Monday's game against the Sacramento Kings and will not return.

He went down to the ground and grabbed his knee after driving to the basket and was helped to the locker room. While he did remain in the game to shoot two free throws, he struggled to put any weight on his leg as he was helped off:

After the injury, former Mavs teammate Luka Dončić showed his support on social media:

Irving has dealt with some recent ailments, including when he underwent surgery after he broke his left hand during an offseason workout. ESPN's Shams Charania and Tim MacMahon also reported on Jan. 6 that he was expected to miss at least one or two weeks with a bulging disc in his back.

This all came after injuries limited the 32-year-old to 58 games during his first full season with the Mavericks in 2023-24.

However, Irving was healthy for the playoffs last season and helped lead Dallas to the NBA Finals, where it lost to the Boston Celtics.

When healthy, the nine-time All-Star is still one of the best perimeter playmakers in the league and gives the Mavericks a go-to option even after trading Dončić. He entered play averaging 25.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47.3 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from deep in 2024-25.

If Irving is sidelined by his latest injury concern, look for the combination of Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy to see more playing time.