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Kyrie Irving’s managed return headlines Southwest Division roundup
With preseason games in Macao looming, Kyrie Irving is set to play again for the Mavericks after 19 months on the sidelines.
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There were no games on the schedule for the Southwest Division yesterday, but Dallas still managed to dominate the news cycle with an update on Kyrie Irving’s return and early moves toward a future home arena.
Mavericks: Carefully planned return for Kyrie and arena questions
Hoops Rumors reports, via comments from head coach Dusty May relayed by Christian Clark of The Athletic, that point guard Kyrie Irving will play in only one of the Dallas Mavericks’ two preseason games against the Houston Rockets in Macao this weekend. It will be Irving’s first game action after a 19‑month recovery from an ACL tear. Dallas has yet to play in the preseason and sits at 0-0 in the Southwest standings.
Hoops Rumors also highlights that the Mavericks are looking ahead to life after the American Airlines Center. With their lease set to expire in 2031, the franchise would like to move into a new arena for the 2031-32 season. According to Clark’s reporting, there’s still no timeline for when construction might start, and the team is exploring different site options, including at least one former location being evaluated. The same piece touches on the roles of executives like Masai Ujiri and former owner Mark Cuban in the broader strategic picture, without going into further detail.
Rockets, Grizzlies and Spurs waiting on tip-off
The Houston Rockets (0-0), who will face Dallas in Macao, are also part of Hoops Rumors’ "Southwest Notes" column, which references center Zach Edey, head coach Ime Udoka and shooting specialist Chip Engelland, though without additional specifics. Houston will use the overseas trip as one of its first looks at this year’s group in game conditions.
More generally, another Hoops Rumors story on potential swing players around the league includes a San Antonio Spurs player among ten under-the-radar names who could change their teams’ fortunes. The Spurs sit at 0-1, while the Memphis Grizzlies are 1-1, as the rest of the Southwest Division waits for preseason action to pick back up.