Heading into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Dallas Mavericks are in a great spot.

The Mavs are coming off an NBA Finals appearance last season, and they’ve made a handful of moves this summer that should help them remain as one of the top teams in the Western Conference.

Their biggest move of the summer was signing Klay Thompson, but they’ve also made other moves that should help them next season including signing Naji Marshall and trading for Quentin Grimes. While all of the offseason moves have been flurried around the news for months, some Mavs fans have forgotten about some negative news that was reported last month.

In mid-July, it was reported that Kyrie Irving broke his left hand while training. Irving received surgery to repair his hand, but according to an NBA insider, Irving’s hand still isn’t good to go.

According to Marc Stein, a group of Mavericks players are training together in Los Angeles, and Irving is there, but he still isn’t cleared to play 5-on-5. Stein didn’t go into detail about what Irving is cleared to do, but it’s a positive that he is there bonding with his teammates even though he isn’t able to run 5-on-5.

Stein’s update is the first report that’s out there on the progress of Irving’s recovery outside of Irving’s self-update the same night that the break was originally reported, and although it doesn’t seem like Irving is ready to play just yet, there is “optimism” from the Mavs that his return could come before training camp. Despite not being able to train with his Mavericks teammates, it’s still important that he is in attendance due to the role he plays in the locker room.

Irving’s leadership in Dallas has increased over the last year and a half, and he truly is a positive role model for his younger teammates. Irving could easily be at home, but he has decided to spend his time with his teammates while they’re working out.

The chemistry of the team last season was a big reason that the Mavs were able to go on such a deep run in the playoffs, and Irving was at the head of that. He has played in big moments for many years, and he has gone through almost every situation imaginable.

Irving’s teammates trust him, and him spending time with some of his teammates this summer should only increase the Mavs’ chemistry heading into the 2024-25 season.