Kyrie to miss rest of season, eyes ’26-27 return

February 18, 2026 No Comments

Kyrie Irving to miss rest of season, eyes return for 2026-27ESPNMultiple AuthorsFeb 18, 2026, 09:58 AM ET

Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving will miss the remainder of the season as he continues to recover from knee surgery last March.

Irving, who had the surgery last March to repair a torn left ACL, has not played this season. The nine-time All-Star is expected to return for the 2026-27 season.

The Mavericks revealed Wednesday that Irving is making “steady progress in rehabilitation and will remain actively engaged with the team through the remainder of the season.”

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“This is about Kyrie being 1,000% when he comes back and giving himself the best chance to chase a championship next season,” his agent, Shetellia Riley Irving, told ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Irving, 33, also missed the final 20 games of last season after suffering the knee injury. He mentioned in a statement that he is “looking forward to coming back stronger next season.”

“This decision wasn’t easy, but it’s the right one,” Irving mentioned in his statement. “I am grateful for the Mavericks organization, my teammates and our fans for their continued support throughout the process. I am looking forward to coming back stronger next season. The belief and drive I have inside only grows.

“And I wanted to send a huge shoutout to ALL of my brothers and sisters out there who’ve torn their ACL or gotten injured doing what they love to do every day. THANK YOU for the inspiration. No fear!”

The Mavericks are 75-53 with Irving in the lineup since the 15-year veteran joined the franchise during the 2022-23 season. Conversely, they are just 42-75 in games that Irving misses.

The Mavericks are fourth in the Southwest Division with a 19-35 record entering the post-All-Star break portion of their schedule.

Dallas signaled its intention to rebuild earlier this month with the trade of Anthony Davis, who was dealt to the Washington Wizards in a nine-player blockbuster.