Overview
- Irving played his first competitive game since tearing his left ACL, finishing with 17 points, 6-of-13 shooting, three assists and no turnovers in 22 minutes during Dallas’s 132-115 preseason win in Macao on Sunday.
- Coaches said Irving has been a strong leader in practice and praised his mentoring of younger players, with Dusty May noting Irving’s ability to improve offensive spacing for the club.
- Irving’s long rehab followed a March 3, 2025 ACL tear and a reported Grade 2 calf strain in December 2025 that slowed his recovery, making this outing a key health milestone.
- His return comes as the Mavericks operate under new basketball leadership with Masai Ujiri overseeing operations, Dusty May as coach and a young core led by Cooper Flagg that will need defined roles.
- The team plans to monitor Irving’s workload through the rest of the preseason and early regular season to judge durability and fit, a process that will inform minutes limits and possible roster or trade decisions before the February trade deadline.