“Running out of bodies” - Mavericks' potential lineup with Irving out for the season
The salt just keeps pouring in the Dallas Mavericks fans' wounds. Luka’s gone, Kyrie is out for the rest of the season, and AD is still on the sidelines.
Is Dallas cursed? Is Karma punishing the Mavericks' front office? Is this just the way basketball go? We may never know the answers to these existential questions, but the fact remains - Nico Harrison has traded away the Mavs' best player for a player who got injured in his debut a month ago and has been out since then, and now they’ve lost their other superstar, Kyrie Irving, to a season-ending ACL injury.
Breaking: Dallas Mavericks All-Star Kyrie Irving has suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his left knee, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/VEgTU6iF6S
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 4, 2025
As fans were already protesting the team and calling on Harrison to be fired for trading away Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, the franchise responded by raising ticket prices for games that are already turning up emptier stadiums than we’ve seen in a long time...maybe ever.
The Mavs are 6-6 since trading away Luka, and though they’re 10th in the Western Conference, they are just 1.5 games behind sixth place and a guaranteed spot in the first round of the playoffs. With Davis set for a return soon, they may have had a chance. Now that Irving’s out, however, things went from bad to much, much worse.
Irving’s injury happening this late in the season means he could be out for a huge chunk of next season as well...potentially all of it. And it wasn’t even just Irving who went down on Monday. Backup guard Jaden Hardy suffered an ankle injury in the same game.
Mavericks sans Luka, AD, and Kyrie
So where does this leave the Mavs? They were already shorthanded and now they’re totally wiped out.
“It seems every time we get close to getting somebody back, someone goes down,” coach Jason Kidd said on Monday. “Tonight, both Hardy and [Irving] go down. So, we’re running out of bodies here.”
As it stands, the Mavericks will have to rely on Spencer Dinwiddie and Klay Thompson to lead the team. Dinwiddie is the only other player on the team with experience as a primary playmaker. If Hardy doesn’t miss too much time with the ankle injury, he could potentially be in the starting five as well.
Forward Caleb Martin was recently added to the Mavs' G League affiliate team, the Texas Legends, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him suit up soon. Davis has no designated return date, but he’s reported that he’s progressing well, so he could be back sooner rather than later.
Potential Mavericks lineup without AD and Kyrie:
| Point Guard | Shooting Guard | Small Forward | Power Forward | Center |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Dinwiddie | Max Christie | Klay Thompson | Olivier-Maxence Prosper | P.J. Washington |
| Jaden Hardy | Dante Exum | Naji Marshall | Kessler Edwards | |
| Brandon Williams | Caleb Martin |
From the NBA Finals in 2024 to...this...in 2025. It’s no wonder fans are boycotting the team.
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