Mavericks' 2026-27 plan leans heavily on Irving's return

Lively's availability remains a second roster variable.

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 71 min read

Day 7 -- Dallas Mavericks Irving returns from injury to a team that doesn't have much of a contingency plan behind him. Via @LawMurrayTheNU on X

What happened: Dallas enters the upcoming season with limited contingency behind Irving and uncertainty surrounding Lively. Aldama, Johnson, Risacher and Sasser project into roles previously occupied by Middleton, Bagley, Thompson and Williams.

Why it matters: Irving missed all of 2025-26 following ACL reconstruction, making his availability central to the Mavericks' offense. Dusty May has said he plans to lean on Irving's leadership, while Lively's health could shape the frontcourt rotation.

By the numbers: Irving missed all 82 games in 2025-26. Lively played seven games before undergoing season-ending right-foot surgery.

What to watch: Training camp will clarify Irving's workload, Lively's availability and how Dallas distributes minutes behind them.

Sources

@LawMurrayTheNU 2026-09-07T19:21:25.452757+00:00

CONVERSATION

Loading comments…

NBAAnalysisDallas MavericksWilliams

Follow NBA Intelligence

Real-time signals and analysis

@WireReportNBA

WR Pro

The day's sports, briefed to your inbox at 7am ET. Every claim sourced.

$9/month Free weekly newsletter →