Overview
- Irving returned to on-court activity in a “Can You Guard Kyrie” session at the NBPA Top 100 Camp this week, and he has said he is close to being “over at 100 percent” in his ACL recovery.
- He publicly described the March 2025 ACL tear as “very traumatic” and said the yearlong rehab carried a heavy mental and emotional toll.
- Irving is owed $39.5 million for 2026-27 and holds a $42.4 million player option for 2027-28, facts that loom large in any trade or retention decision.
- Multiple outlets report unconfirmed interest from four teams — the Detroit Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers — but no trade is official.
- With front-office and coaching changes in Dallas and salary flexibility from recent moves, the Mavericks must decide before training camp whether to aim for short-term competitiveness with Irving or accelerate a rebuild around Cooper Flagg.