The Dallas Mavericks seemingly have all of the pieces in place to be a true contender in the Western Conference in the 2025-26 season. But perhaps the biggest piece to the puzzle for the Mavericks is injured star point guard Kyrie Irving. And thankfully for Mavericks fans, the team received an encouraging update on Irving’s recovery process following his torn ACL injury last March.

Irving has gone on record saying that he will not be returning until he feels that he is 100 percent healthy and ready to go following his ACL injury. And while it is still unclear exactly when that may be, reports have emerged that Irving’s recovery timeline is moving faster than originally anticipated.

According to the DallasHoopsJournal, sources with knowledge of the situation believe that Irving is “ahead of schedule” on his recovery process, which both Mavericks GM Nico Harrison and Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban have said in recent days.

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This is certainly a pretty significant update considering Irving is planning to use extreme caution with his rehab process, even saying earlier this offseason that a return before the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs is no sure thing.

If Irving is able to return towards the second half of this coming regular season, it would certainly be a huge addition to a Mavericks team that, on paper, appears to be as talented as perhaps any roster in basketball.

While Irving remains on the sidelines, former All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell is expected to start in his place. He has proven to be an incredibly servicable player throughout his career.

But even someone like Russell, who averages 17.3 points per game over the course of his ten-year NBA career, will have his hands full attempting to fill the massive hole that Irving’s absence presents for the Mavericks.

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Irving’s impact on the Mavericks’ success in recent years, which includes an appearance in the NBA Finals two years ago, can not be understated, averaging 25.5 points per game while shooting over 40 percent on three-point attempts over his past three seasons in Dallas.

If the Mavericks can just get into position for a postseason run by the time Irving is able to return, Dallas could very well be the biggest threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference. And given how promising this update on Irving’s rehab process is, it seems more and more like Irving may be returning sooner rather than later.

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