The Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on November 11, a move that followed heavy fan and media backlash after last season’s blockbuster trade that sent franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In return, Dallas received Anthony Davis, who has played only five games this season while the team sits 4-11 (third-worst in the West), circumstances that ultimately led to Harrison’s dismissal.
We’re only 15 games in, and many Mavs fans are already writing off the season and turning their attention to 2026.
However, on Monday, NBA insider Marc J. Spears offered an unexpected update on star guard Kyrie Irving that could revive some hope.
“Kyrie’s looking good, he’s ahead of schedule,” Spears told “NBA Today” on ESPN. “He’s working out with the purpose of playing this season, which I’m sure Mavs fans are glad to hear. Optimistically, he could return by late January or the All-Star break. Someone close to him told me that, if it was the playoffs, he could play right now. That’s how ahead of schedule he is.”
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Irving joined the Mavericks in 2023 after stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, and Brooklyn Nets; through 15 NBA seasons, he is a nine-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA honoree, a 2016 NBA champion, and one of the best players from the last decade.
Across his first three seasons with Dallas (128 games), he has averaged 25.5 points, 5.1 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals in 35.9 minutes per game, helping the team reach the NBA Finals in 2023-24 alongside Doncic.
However, after Doncic was shipped out in February, Irving tore his left ACL just a few weeks later and missed the remainder of last season.
Initial recovery projections for ACL tears typically span 9-12 months before a player can fully return to competition clearance; many presumed that Irving might not be back until the All-Star Break (February 13-15) at the earliest.
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Irving being far enough along in his recovery that he “could play right now” if it were playoff basketball should matter to Mavericks fans.
The immediate task for Dallas is to salvage as much of the season as possible so the roster is worth returning to when he’s cleared.
If he’s given the green light, Irving could be the decisive factor in whether Dallas turns this year into a comeback or a full-on reset.