Kyrie Irving's "Crazy" ACL Recovery Leaves NBA Champion Stunned as New Practice Details Emerge

It's been a long while since we last saw Kyrie Irving play on the hardwood. Back in March 2025, Irving suffered a season-ending left ACL tear, which could've also jeopardized his career. Thankfully, after 16 long months of recovery since his surgery, he's finally healed and ready to suit up for the 2026-27 season.

While fans are excited to see Irving return, the Dallas Mavericks could be in for a bigger treat. Former NBA champion Michael Porter Jr. revealed on Monday's episode of his "Curious Mike" podcast that he played with Irving over the weekend, and it's as if the nine-time All-Star never got hurt.

"I was hooping with him yesterday, and this is off of his ACL," Porter noted on his podcast. "That dude was so cold, bro. I couldn't believe how he was moving out there. And he was getting to the lane; there were all footers in there, and he somehow was with the left. Bro, it was nutty. It was crazy."

Based on Porter's reaction, it seems that Irving is one of the few players whose performance wasn't affected by the ACL tear. This is especially good news for the Dallas Mavericks, as they are now fully operating around Cooper Flagg as the new face of the franchise, with Irving as his veteran mentor.

Before his injury, Irving was averaging 24.7 points, 4.6 assists, and 4.8 rebounds last season. That is just one of the reasons that is making other teams take notice of him if the Mavericks choose to let him go.

NBA Teams Keeping a Close Eye on Kyrie Irving

Despite being 34, Kyrie Irving is still one of the best point guards in the league. His handles are still unmatched, and he still has one of the quickest first steps among veterans. This is one of the major reasons why the Dallas Mavericks are firm on keeping Irving around despite the apparent rebuild around Cooper Flagg.

NBA insider Marc Stein noted that while the Mavericks have deflected any offers made for Kyrie, the league is still betting on Dallas to let him go when they eventually decide to fully invest in Flagg.

"The Mavericks, as we've been writing since mid-June, have consistently swatted away trade interest this offseason in nine-time All-Star guard Kyrie Irving," Stein wrote on his website. "Rival teams, however, continue to wonder aloud about how firmly Dallas will stick to that stance once the season begins and the next in-season trade deadline on Feb. 11 gradually approaches."

"The primary factor fueling that curiosity, of course, is the fact that Irving is 34 and Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg is 19," Stein added. "Not your average age gap between the team's two best players."

In May, Irving revealed during a Twitch stream that he was "close to being over at 100%" in his recovery, meaning he should be fully ready before the Mavs take on the Houston Rockets in their preseason opener in October, that is, if the Mavs choose to retain him.

For now, all we can do is wait and watch how things will transpire in Dallas. Looking at the team's current lineup, it seems unlikely that the Mavericks will let go of Irving.