Kyrie Irving Is Cooking in Open Runs 18 Months After His ACL Tear
Irving tore his ACL on March 3, 2025. New footage has him gliding again — and a fantasy draft-day question worth answering before late October.
Open-run flashes are encouraging, but wait for a real timeline before you reach.
- Tore ACL vs. Kings on March 3, 2025
- Ranked #29 overall, #13 at guard on our board
- 40.6 fantasy pts/G in 2024-25 (actual)
- 25.5 pts, 6.1 ast in 128 Dallas games (3 yrs)
- Season tips late October; Irving is 34
Kyrie Irving hasn't played an NBA game since tearing his ACL against the Sacramento Kings on March 3, 2025 — roughly 18 months ago. But footage from an offseason open run that hit social media this week shows the nine-time All-Star cutting, gliding and pulling off his usual handle package with no visible hesitation. For a Mavs team most people have written off, that's the first genuinely good sign in a while.
The numbers behind the hype are real. Across 128 games over three seasons in Dallas, Irving has averaged 25.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.3 steals on 49% shooting, 40.4% from three and 91.7% at the line. In his shortened 2024-25 (actual), he posted 24.7 points, 4.8 boards and 4.6 assists across 50 games, good for 40.6 fantasy points per game — enough to land him #29 overall and #13 among guards on our board.
The Michael Porter Jr. Cosign
Nets forward Michael Porter Jr., who ran with Irving recently, sounded stunned on his podcast. Porter said he was hooping with Kyrie the day before and couldn't believe how well he was moving this soon off the ACL, calling the whole thing borderline unbelievable. Consider the source, sure — but Porter is an NBA starter watching this up close, not a fan with a phone.
Why This Matters for Dallas
There's real context here. Irving could have rushed back after February's trade deadline, but with Dallas buried in the playoff race, there was no reason to. That patience matters. The other piece is Cooper Flagg taking his next step; pair a healthy Kyrie with a rising Flagg and the Mavs' floor rises fast. Even 75-80% of Irving's typical production across 60-plus games flips their outlook.
The Fantasy Angle
The catch: Irving is 34 with a long injury history, and 'looks great in an open run' is not the same as 'cleared for 65 games.' There's still no firm season-opening timeline. Draft him where his healthy ceiling justifies — but don't pay for the full 40.6 fantasy points per game he gave you in 2024-25.
Verdict: WATCH. Rank him around his current #29 spot as a talent, then discount for games-played risk until Dallas gives a real return date. If a manager in your league is nervous about the ACL and lets him slide, that's your window to pounce late — the tape says the burst is back.
