Kyrie Irving’s injury latest twist for Mavericks following Luka trade

• Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL in a Monday, March 3 loss to Sacramento. It’s the latest twist following the trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
• The Mavericks and Lakers have gone in opposite directions since the trade on Feb. 1, 2025.
• The Lakers have won 6 straight and are 7-2 since Doncic made his debut. His statistics have gone up in the last five games.

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NBA watchers and pundits predicted that the trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers would always be a one-sided deal. No one knew how far in opposite directions the teams would go just one month later.

What happened to Kyrie Irving?

It got even worse for Dallas the night of Monday, March 3, when superstar guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL in the team’s loss to the Sacramento Kings. He will miss the rest of the season. Irving, who has averaged the most minutes in the NBA over the last month, carried the team as best he could to a 6-7 record since the Feb. 1 trade of Doncic.

Mavericks center Anthony Davis, the player the team got in return for Doncic, has played in only one game because of an adductor injury. There are reports the team may shut him down for the rest of the season after learning of Irving’s injury.

Fans received another blow hours before the Irving injury when the team announced that season ticket prices would increase by an average of almost 9% next season. In an email to season ticket holders, the team said the increase is needed for “ongoing investments in the team and fan engagement.”

How had Luka played with the Lakers?

In Los Angeles, however, the Lakers are 7-2 since Doncic made his debut on Feb. 10. He picked up his play of late as he gets more comfortable with his new team. His points-per-game average in the last five games has increased from 14.6 to 26.4. His rebounds-per-game average jumped from 7.0 to 9.2, and his assists-per-game average is up to 7.6 from 5.3. After Sunday’s win over the Clippers, Doncic said he’s playing well with LeBron James, making all the difference.

“I think just play the way we play. The way we both play, get other people involved. They gonna give you, depends on which coverage, take what the defense gives you, but it’s just playing who we are,” Doncic said.

Head coach JJ Redick isn’t so concerned with Doncic’s numbers but rather the killer instinct he brings whenever the team needs a basket or a boost in energy.

“He’s played great tonight [Monday, March 3]. It was that verve and that spirit of competition but also just something that, his, maybe it’s an inner demon. I don’t know, but it comes out, and it’s fantastic for us when it does,” Redick said.

What’s next for both teams?

The Lakers, who host the New Orleans Pelicans Tuesday night, March 4, have won six straight and shot up to second place in the Western Conference. It’s exactly what the team hoped for when they made the deal. The Mavericks travel to Milwaukee for a game Wednesday, March 5, and have dropped into 10th place in the West. They are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs with 23 regular season games left.