Mark Cuban Predicts Kyrie Irving Will Return from Knee Injury, Play for Mavs in '25-26

Former Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban expects Kyrie Irving to return and play for the team during the 2025-26 season.

“Yeah, I do," Cuban said during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio with Justin Termine (h/t HoopsHype). "Yeah. I mean, he’s gonna be careful, but it’s Kyrie, man, he lives to ball and he’s not gonna take time off if he doesn’t have to.”

In March, Irving suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and later underwent surgery.

While an exact target date for his return is unknown, ESPN's Shams Charania reported on June 26 that Irving was "hopeful" about his rehab and targeting the "January-February period" of Dallas' 2025-26 campaign.

The nine-time All-Star was off to a strong start to his Mavericks career before the injury, averaging 25.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game on 49.0/40.4/91.7 shooting splits during his tenure with the organization.

Irving was rewarded for his efforts with a three-year contract worth $119 million from Dallas after declining a $43 million player option for the 2025-26 season.

The Mavericks will rely on Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and incoming rookie Cooper Flagg to take on a larger offensive role until Irving is able to potentially return.