The Dallas Mavericks recently announced that Kyrie Irving is out for the rest of the 2024-25 NBA season due to a torn ACL, which he sustained during the team’s 122-98 loss against the Sacramento Kings last Monday.
With Irving joining Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford on the sidelines, the Dallas Mavericks aren’t expected to compete in the playoffs soon.
Davis, who hurt his groin in his first game for Dallas, is projected to return to the lineup. However, ESPN insider Shams Charania noted that the team might consider shutting their star forward down for the rest of the season due to their current situation.
“I think (Anthony Davis), his representatives are gonna huddle up,” Charania said via The Pat McAfee Show. “I think they’re gonna have some very hard conversations. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that one game was the last time we’ve seen AD this season.”
Dallas Mavericks might need to consider tanking
The Dallas Mavericks are 10th in the Western Conference with a 32-30 record, and they’ve lost four of their last five games.
With Irving sidelined, Spencer Dinwiddie, Klay Thompson, Max Christie, and Dante Exum will be tasked with shouldering the heavy load on offense.
They are projected to have the 13th pick of this summer’s NBA Draft if the season ends today. However, they could climb further up the draft board if they lose more games.
