Kyrie Irving ACL Tear: How The Season Ending Injury Impacts Mavericks Championship Odds

The Dallas Mavericks were on top of the world when they acquired Anthony Davis and Maxie Christie for Luka Doncic at the NBA trade deadline. The Mavericks have since suffered a huge setback in  "win-now" mode under GM Nico Harrison. Now they've been dealt devastating news involving Kyrie Irving.

(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Star guard Kyrie Irving has suffered a season-ending ACL tear. The injury initially occurred late in the first quarter against the Sacramento Kings. Down for quite some time, Irving miraculously made two free throws after being helped to the charity stripe by teammates. Talk about a player with grit, tenacity, and toughness.

Last night, we saw a side of Kyrie Irving that exemplifies greatness. It's the Mamba Mentality that's instilled in Irving. Despite the injury, Mavericks fans have a real loyal one in Irving.

Ruled out for the rest of the season, there's no guarantee when Irving will step foot on the hardwood again. Likely to miss a portion of next season, the Mavericks gamble to win now has taken a turn for the worse. With that, their championship odds have plummeted.

Let's take a look at the Dallas Mavericks current championship odds prior and after the Kyrie Irving injury news.

FanDuel Mavericks NBA Championship Odds For 2024-2025

• Current Western Conference Winner: +25000
• Current NBA Championship Winner: +53000
• Pre-Season Championship Odds: +950
• NBA Championship Odds Post Luka Doncic trade: +3500

There's no question the Mavericks are going through it. First they traded star player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 2. In return, the Mavericks were expected to form one of the most formidable front courts with Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Derick Lively II.

Less than 10 days later, Daniel Gafford went down with grade 3 MCL sprain in his knee. With Lively II already sidelined with an ankle injury, Anthony Davis was injured in his Mavericks debut. Out with a left adductor strain, Davis showed glimpses of what could be in his Mavericks debut. Logging 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks against the Rockets, it's scary how dominant this Mavericks front court could be.

In less than a month, the Mavericks went from Championship contenders to a total shutdown. We are talking about a team that's less than a year removed from an NBA Finals appearance. Heading into this season as the fourth favorites to win an NBA Championship at +950, now have the 12th worth odds to win it all at +53000.

Replacing Kyrie Irving Will Be a Tough Challenge For the Mavericks

Post NBA All-Star break, the Mavericks  have a semi-challenging schedule ahead. With that, they just under (.497) strength of schedule. One of the top predicted teams in the Western Conference now have +440 odds to make the playoffs.

With a 32-30 record, the Mavericks are holding on for dear life. No. 10 in the West, Dallas has the final play-in-tournament spot. That is, for now. Over the last 10 games, they've managed to stay afloat somehow. 5-5 in their last ten, they are riding a two game losing streak.

With Luka Doncic shipped out of town, the Mavericks certainty lost their identity a bit. Even through it all, it's been Irving that's kept their past playoff hopes alive. With Doncic gone and Davis out, Irving quickly emerged as the Mavericks leading scorer.

Prior to the ACL tear, Irving was on fire, averaging 28.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in five games before the injury occurred. Having averaged 27.3 points in February post Luka trade, Irving led the Mavericks to massive victories over the Warriors and Celtics, two of which he notched 42 and 19 points.

Losing Kyrie Irving Hurts The Mavericks Championship Betting Odds

With a .462 win percentage since the Doncic trade, the Mavericks dropped to No. 23 in offensive rating and No. 22 in defensive rating. Even with Kyrie Irving as the primary ball handler and scorer, the Mavericks have largely struggled on the offensive end.

Without Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie is expected to resume point guard duties for the Mavericks. With that, Max Christie will get get the opportunity of a lifetime. From listed as a bench player with limited minutes for the Lakers, Christie now has the opportunity to shine. While no one players has yet to show Kyrie type numbers, the absence of Doncic and Irving will be tough to fill.

In addition, Kyrie Irving had a 27.3 usage percentage this season, logging the 8th most points in the NBA (37.0) since Doncic's last game with the Mavericks on Christmas day.

Starting in five games for Dallas, it's unclear if Christie or Dante Exum will get the starting nod.  While it's not certain when Daniel Gafford, Derick Lively II, and Anthony Davis will return, it's a chance for Mavericks fans to look into the future.

Will The Mavericks Shut Down Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II?

Although they aren't out of playoff contention just yet, imagine just how dominant this Mavericks would look if healthy? While their championship dreams are all but gone, it's unclear how the future will look. While Irving has a player option for the final year of his contract, Irving's ability to receive a max contract with Dallas is more questionable than ever.

If the Mavericks are smart, they won't rush back P.J. Washington, Lively II, and Gafford from injury. Let's be honest, It's likely not worth it, especially for a team that's fighting for a play-in spot. With +530000 odds to win a championship, it's a long shot.

Kyrie Irving's ACL Injury Raises Major Questions for Dallas

The question remains, will players such as Anthony Davis, Irving, and Klay Thompson even want to return to Dallas. While Nico Harrison has been under much scrutiny, it's championship or bust for Dallas. With Irving, Dwight Powell, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dante Exum, Kai Jones, and Brandon Williams expected to become free agents/playoff options, the band could be brought back together.

While Kyrie Irving and Thompson aren't getting any younger, this team has the opportunity to do something special. You add the depth that Max Christie and Jaden Hardy can have the opportunity to blossom without Doncic. Will the Mavericks regroup with some of the most powerful big men in the game, or will it fall apart?

As far as Irving, he's one of the most talented, prolific ball handlers and scorers in NBA history. With that said, his career has been derailed by injuries, and hasn't played over 60 games since the 2018-2019 season. The same goes for Anthony Davis, who's played one 76 game season once since 2017-2018.

With the Kyrie Irving injury comes an interesting betting aspect for other teams. With the Mavericks, Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers all fighting for the No. 10 spot, this may be great news for the Suns. Unable to thrive under the big three of Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, and Devin Booker, they now have +230 odds to make the Play-In-Tournament.

How Does The Kyrie Irving Injury Affect Other Team's Championship Betting Odds?

2-8 in their last ten games, can the Suns finally catch a break with this Kyrie Irving news? With that, they have one of the toughest schedules remaining post All-Star break.

Next is a young Trail Blazers team, who are 4.6 back of Dallas for the last play-in-spot. 5-5 in their last 10 games, similar to the Suns, they have a challenging schedule down the stretch.

In the closely contested Western Conference, the teams ranked No. 5 through No. 10 are separated by just 1.5 games. That includes the Warriors, Clippers, Kings, Timberwolves, and Mavericks. With that, the Nuggets championship odds have increased to +1400, and Lakers to +1600.

Now with Shams Charania reporting that Anthony Davis may be shut down for the rest of the season, it's looking like a wrap for Dallas. While injuries loom, all eyes will remain in Nico Harrison. Poised to make another Championship run, the Mavericks future is now in question more than ever.