Mavs' Jason Kidd Denies Kyrie Irving Is 'Ahead of Schedule' in Knee Injury Rehab

Dallas Mavericks star point guard Kyrie Irving has fueled optimism in his recovery from a torn ACL with his recent workout videos, but head coach Jason Kidd isn't letting anyone get ahead of themselves.

While speaking to reporters on Monday, Kidd requested that the media "refrain from saying 'ahead of schedule'" in his recovery, calling it "bad reporting" and saying that it's "unfair to him and to the Mavs, because it's not true."

Despite his words of caution, Kidd added that Irving has been cleared to participate in training camp with the Mavs.

For his part, Irving echoed his coach's measured approach, telling reporters, "I'm right on schedule," and making it clear that there's no specific target date for his return.

It was nearly seven months ago that Irving tore his ACL in a game against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, ending his season. Without him, the Mavs fell short of the playoffs with a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament.

Despite Irving's injury, Dallas didn't waver in its commitment to him and re-signed him to a new three-year, $119 million contract this offseason. Irving then turned heads when he was seen shooting perfect jumpers during a recent workout:

Still, it's safe to assume that the nine-time All-Star won't be available to start the 2025-26 season. The Mavs signed veteran point guard D'Angelo Russell to fill the void until he's able to return.

Despite having Irving on the sidelines, there's optimism in Dallas following the arrival of 2025 No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, who will form a strong duo with star forward Anthony Davis. Irving's eventual return should make the Mavs one of the top contenders in the Western Conference, but it remains to be seen when he'll be back to his old self.