Mavericks star Kyrie Irving is out for the season after suffering a torn ACL. The veteran point guard is set to begin a long process of recovery, but not before making a statement to his loyal fans and followers.
“It hurts for sure, it hurts. It hasn’t been 48 hours since I tore my ACL but the recovery process has already started,” said Irving on Instagram Live. “Mentally, spiritually, emotionally, just wanted to let you guys know I was okay. I will be okay moving forward. It does suck a lot, I ain’t gonna lie.”
“This one stings, for sure. But I have a great support system around me, I have incredible family members and friends, and I know I’m supported not just here in America, but internationally. And I’m not on this journey alone.”
“I gave it all this season, starting in the summer time after we lost in the Finals,” Irving said. “It’s been a lot of change that happened very quickly over the last month, and some change. I’ve been dealing with emotions with that, too, and I’ll have time to go deeper in those emotions when I have the time, but as of right now I’m gonna take it in stride.”
Irving is in relatively good spirits in light of the difficult circumstances. After he injured his left knee during a drive against the Kings, it was initially revealed as a hyperextension but the official diagnosis turned out to be much worse.
It wasn’t until a few hours ago that it was announced Kyrie tore his ACL and the recovery time is expected to be anywhere from 6-9 months. It will cost him the rest of this season and likely into the 2025-26 campaign as well.
The 9x All-Star was playing some of the best basketball of his career before going down this season. At 32 years old, Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game on 47.3% shooting.
In the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade, Kyrie was single-handedly keeping the Mavericks alive but now they are on the verge of tanking the season with Doncic traded, Irving injured, and Anthony Davis considering shutting down for the foreseeable future.
Kyrie Irving Was On Track For A Max Extension
Perhaps the greatest tragedy of Irving’s ACL injury is that he was on the verge of securing a massive new contract. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, the 2016 champion was on track to receive a maximum extension by the Mavericks.
“For the Mavericks, this is tough. Kyrie Irving made his ninth All-Star team and he was going for everything,” said Shams on the Pat McAfee Show. “I remember when I used to come on here in 2020, 2021, and he was getting crushed. You think about this decision not to take the COVID vaccine shot, you think about how his image started to go in Brooklyn. He was reclaiming his spot the last couple years, was an upper echelon, top player. The spot he deserves. And he was on track to get a max this offseason potentially. He has a player option for $44 million next season.”
Irving has a player option for the 2025-26 season, meaning that he can opt-out and become a free agent as early as this summer. Irving could have re-signed with the Mavs for 4 years and $240 million, a raise of roughly $20 million per year.
If the Mavericks are smart, they’ll hold off on a new contract for Irving until he returns from his ACL injury. Since he’s set to miss a chunk of next season, Irving is likely to opt into the final year of his deal, which means the Mavs will have one last chance to determine his value.
Without Luka Doncic, however, the Mavericks don’t have a lot of options but to commit to Irving and hope he returns to full health. As a 9x All-Star, NBA champion, and 3x All-NBA player, Irving has great odds to make a strong comeback but this may not be the ending he had planned.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
