Mavericks face a sticky Kyrie Irving problem they may never solve

The Dallas Mavericks' 2024-25 season crumbled beneath them when Kyrie Irving tore his ACL on March 3 against the Sacramento Kings, and the shockwaves of this injury will radiate into the 2025-26 season for Dallas. The Mavericks will be without Irving for an indefinite period of time to begin the season, as he has refrained from giving an exact timetable for his return, and even if he does return at the end of next season, Dallas is poised for a tough situation when it comes to how they manage him and his injury.

Assuming Irving returns at some point after the All-Star break, the Mavericks will be in an all-out sprint down the final stretch of the season to secure a good playoff seed. With Dallas's lack of guard depth, they could be forced to heavily rely upon Irving right away, and this is exactly what they need to stay away from.

The 2025-26 end-of-season stretch will look quite different from their final stretch in the 2023-24 season, which ultimately propelled them all the way to the NBA Finals, and Mavs fans shouldn't expect them to be in a position to play catch-up if they fall way behind in the standings.

Mavericks' Kyrie Irving injury battle will continue even once he's healthy

2024 was different because they added P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford to a stacked roster, and while they will be adding Irving to a formidable roster in 2026 when he returns, Jason Kidd won't be able to just throw him in the fire like he did with Washington and Gafford. He will be coming off one of the most devastating injuries that an athlete can suffer, and after he signed a three-year deal with Dallas this offseason, they need to be as careful as possible.

Irving has already made it clear that he will take as much time as he needs to rehab rather than rushing back, which is the obvious right move, but it may be hard for him to get to 100 percent before the NBA Playoffs begin.

If Irving were to return right after the All-Star break, Dallas would have only 27 games until the regular season ends and the postseason begins. This could end up being plenty of time for Irving to get back to his normal self if he returns at this time, but any additional missed time after that would put him and the Mavs in a complicated situation.

Irving is going to undoubtedly be on a minutes restriction once he returns, and this could end up lasting multiple weeks depending on how his body responds. He is known for taking his time with some injuries, and even though this is a necessary precaution at this point in his career, the Mavs are going to have to walk a fine line of playing him the right amount of minutes while also not pushing him too hard.

The Mavericks playing Irving too much or pushing him too hard after he returns could lead to another injury, and that would sink their season immediately. While Irving's initial ACL tear had nothing to do with overexertion, reinjury is a completely different ball game, and the Mavs are going to have to play their cards right to ensure that they have good title chances next year, as well as the future.

Kidd and company are going to have to put a major focus on managing Irving's minutes conservatively, and this is going to be one of the coaching staff's biggest challenges of the season.

Everyone knows that Irving is one of the most skilled offensive players in the NBA when fully healthy, and only time will tell if he is able to get to that point next season. Irving returning right before the playoffs could lead to his minutes restriction stretching into the postseason, and for Dallas to have a chance at making a run, they are going to need him to be at his best.