Irving sustained the injury during Monday’s loss to the Sacramento Kings and the news is a massive blow to a Mavericks team already grappling with a turbulent season following the trade of star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Irving, 32, hyperextended his knee, falling while he drove to the basket and was carried off court.
ESPN and The Athletic cited sources saying the injury had been confirmed as a season-ending ACL.
After Irving left the court, Jaden Hardy then turned his ankle in the third quarter and had to leave the game, adding to a growing injury list.
Dallas, beaten by the Boston Celtics in last year’s NBA finals, has been reeling since trading superstar Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in early February for Anthony Davis, a blockbuster move aimed at retooling the roster around Irving and Davis.
However, Davis has been sidelined with an adductor strain, while P.J Washington, Dereck Lively, Daniel Gifford and Caleb Martin are all on the injury list.
The Mavericks have lost four of their last five games.
“It just seems every time we get close to get someone back, someone else goes down, we are running out of bodies here,” said Mavs head coach Jason Kidd after Monday’s loss. (AFP)
