Kyrie Irving may return by January, per Shams Charania. He tore his ACL on March 3 and had surgery three weeks later without a set recovery timeline.

If Irving comes back in January, he’ll have recovered in 10 months—a quicker-than-usual return from an ACL tear, which often takes over a year.

Irving, 33, averaged 24.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists on .473/.401/.916 shooting before his injury and earned his ninth All-Star nod.

The Mavericks struggled after losing Irving, finishing 39-43 and dropping to 10th place in the West, landing in the play-in tournament.

Dallas had roster issues late in the season as two-way players ran out of eligibility, and cap limitations kept them from adding help early.

The Mavs couldn’t fill a roster spot until April 10 because of the first-apron hard cap, limiting flexibility during their playoff push.

Irving holds a $44 million player option for next season. He must decide by June 25, a big date for both him and the Mavericks' future.

Charania reports Dallas prefers to re-sign Irving on a three-year deal, potentially aligning him with GM Nico Harrison and Anthony Davis.