2025 NBA Draft Notebook: How Kyrie’s Injury Shifts the Mavs' Draft Plans, Plus Scouting Intel & Film Breakdowns
Lottery Debates, NBA Scout Takes and the Mavericks' New Draft Priorities
How Kyrie Irving’s Injury Could Push Dallas Back Into the Lottery
The Dallas Mavericks’ season took a massive hit with the news that Kyrie Irving has torn his ACL and is out for the remainder of the year. The injury occurred late in the first quarter of Monday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings, and I was in attendance when it happened. The moment I saw the play, I knew it was bad. When Irving insisted on taking his free throws before being carried off the floor, it felt like he already knew his season was over.
Earlier today, the news became official—Kyrie is done for the year, drastically altering the Mavericks’ playoff hopes and long-term outlook.
This injury only adds to a Mavs season filled with setbacks. The team is already without Anthony Davis, who has played just one game since arriving in the Luka Dončić trade and is currently sidelined with an abductor strain. On top of that, their big-man rotation is depleted, with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford also out. Given these injuries and the state of the standings, it just doesn’t make much sense for Dallas to rush Lively, Gafford, or Davis back—even though they currently hold the 10th spot in the West, with a 3.5-game lead over Phoenix, who have lost eight of their last 10 games.
In theory, the Mavericks could still push for a playoff spot, but the smarter move might be to look toward the draft. As of now, Dallas is projected to select at No. 13 in the draft, and the Mavericks could use that pick to either add depth or as a trade asset to acquire another ready-now star.
Some potential names that could be available in that range include French point guard Nolan Traore, BYU freshman Egor Demin, Georgetown center Thomas Sorber, Maryland's Derik Queen, St. Joe’s Rasheer Fleming, and Israeli combo guard Ben Saraf.
How Kyrie’s Injury Affects the Mavericks’ Offseason
Kyrie’s injury completely shifts the Mavericks’ plans for this summer and next season. This was already a team in need of more guard depth and playmaking, and now that need becomes even more pressing. Gafford and Lively fit well with Luka Dončić’s lob-heavy playstyle, but with Dončić gone, Dallas may no longer have a reason to keep 48 minutes of rim-runners on the floor. This could push them to look for a big who can stretch the floor rather than relying solely on vertical spacing.