Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving suffers an ACL injury as Dallas’ fanbase is reeling from Luka Doncic trade. What’s next for a snake-bitten franchise that was in NBA Finals last June?
Bad injury news struck the NBA on Monday night, as Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending ACL injury in a game against the Sacramento Kings. In the first quarter, Kyrie drove to the basket for a layup and unfortunately sustained a non-contact injury. This injury will see him miss the rest of the 2024-2025 season and leaves Mavericks fans at a loss for words about how quickly their season was derailed due to trade and injury.
Kyrie Irving averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists this season and was the focal point of the new-look Dallas Mavericks offense, while fellow all-star Anthony Davis was sidelined due to injury the first game since his acquisition is part of the biggest blockbuster trade in years.
Mavericks fans are now left wondering how they went from a championship contender and an appearance in the 2023-2024 NBA finals, to a record of two games above .500 and trading away their franchise superstar in Luka Doncic in such a short window.
So What’s Next for the Mavericks?
1) DEVELOPMENT
Their current season has essentially come to an end with all this injury news, but this is a big moment for the Mavs’ depth pieces and young talents to showcase what the future of the snake-bitten franchise looks like. Players such as Kai Jones (24 years old), Max Christie (22), Jaden Hardy (22), and P.J. Washington (26) have a massive opportunity to step up in a time of need for the Mavs and lead the charge. With roughly 20 games left in the NBA season, their main focus needs to be developing their young players on the roster. There is no short-term solution to suffice such a devastating blow to the franchise, but remaining healthy is pertinent to whatever success they will see during the remainder of the season.
2) GET HEALTHY
With regards to the trade that sent the NBA world into a frenzy, it sure is not looking good for the Mavericks on that front. There is almost no way to recover from losing a franchise star that had an impact on the organization of that magnitude. While Davis is still one of the better players in the NBA, the injury that he suffered has left Mavs fans uneasy.
In the short term, their roster on paper may look bleak, but once their main stars get back to full health, the Mavericks are a very stout defensive team that will excel in the pick-and-roll game and give teams problems in the paint. Irving may be unavailable for a majority of the following season as well, but when he returns, the duo of him and Davis will be dominant.
3) LOOK FORWARD TO THE DRAFT
At this point of the season, the 2025 NBA Draft and drafting a key player to help the franchise has to be at the forefront of conversations in the front office. March Madness is just about to begin and their scouts will be busy during this period. Drafting young talent to sit and learn behind their stars for a couple of years until they blossom/develop into new key pieces for the Mavericks has to set precedence for the next season or two. Klay Thompson isn’t getting any younger, and a potential long-term replacement for him could be very beneficial to the organization. There are some great guards that should be available in the early-mid first round of the draft, and the Mavericks should explore those options. A top 10 pick could be in their cards if the season continues to trend downwards.
This string of unfortunate news has Mavericks fans in disbelief and looking for answers in the future. Staying the course and persevering through this tough stretch may be in the best interest of the organization, instead of drastically making an unnecessary change, that can further alter the chances of winning for them.
Either way, it’s going to be a tough road to not only win games, but more importantly give Mavs fans hope that the recent trade won’t go down as one of the biggest personnel blunders in NBA history.
