Kyrie Irving Injury Update: Nico Harrison drops encouraging recovery details on Mavericks star's return from knee issue

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is recovering from a knee injury suffered in March. Mavs general manager Nico Harrison provided an update on Irving's recovery on Monday during the 2025 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Nevada.

During the game between the Mavericks and Charlotte Hornets, Harrison shared some good news about Irving's timeline. The one-time NBA champion is ahead of schedule, but the Dallas front office and medical team are in no rush to push his return.

"Kyrie's ahead of schedule, but we kind of knew he would be because of the way he attacks his rehab," Harrison said. "He's going in two or three times a day. But we don't want him to rush it as much as he wants to rush it."

Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee on March 3 against the Sacramento Kings. He immediately underwent surgery, and the typical recovery timeline for an ACL tear is eight to 12 months. If he's ahead of schedule, he could return by November.

However, Irving is 33 and has a history of injuries. As stated by Harrison, the Mavericks aren't going to rush him and will likely wait a little longer before clearing him for a return.

The Mavs have a lot of faith in Irving, who signed a three-year, $119 million contract to stay in Dallas. The franchise also signed D'Angelo Russell to a two-year, $13 million deal. He'll be filling in for Irving during his recovery and would be the perfect sixth man once the nine-time All-Star returns.

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Mark Cuban comments on Kyrie Irving's potential return

Mark Cuban comments on Kyrie Irving's potential return. (Photo: IMAGN)

On SiriusXM NBA radio over the weekend, Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban was asked about his thoughts on Kyrie Irving's potential return. Cuban knows that Irving loves to play, so he won't be surprised if he comes back earlier than expected.

"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," Cuban said, according to HoopsHype.

As for Irving's own thoughts about his recovery, he's unsure if he'll be ready for the playoffs. He doesn't want to rush his rehab but also explained in his live stream last week that he will return once he feels 100% healthy.