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.