Kyrie Irving Set for First Game in 19 Months as Mavericks Open in Macao

Kyrie Irving is finally ready to play basketball again. The 34-year-old Mavericks guard is expected to suit up this weekend in one of Dallas's two preseason games against the Houston Rockets in Macao, played on October 9 and 11, according to coach Dusty May via Marc Stein. It would be his first competitive appearance since tearing his ACL in March 2025 — a layoff of 19 months that tested one of the most gifted shot-makers of his generation. Irving's road back has not been smooth. A calf strain suffered last December set his recovery back by eight weeks and led the Mavericks to rule him out for the entirety of the 2025-26 season, a cautious call on a franchise cornerstone. He is now fully cleared with no restrictions, though the team is expected to bring him along slowly, with limited minutes in only one of the two Macao games. For Dallas, the weekend is less about results and more about the symbolic milestone: their star guard back on the floor, healthy, before the real games begin. The Mavericks' medical staff will be watching every possession, but for Irving — who has spoken openly about how hard the rehab grind has been — simply hearing his name announced again will be a moment years in the making.