Kyrie Irving CLEARED for Mavs Camp; Kidd Warns

Kyrie Irving has been cleared to take part in Mavericks training camp after tearing his ACL on March 3, but coach Jason Kidd pushed back on reports calling his comeback "ahead of schedule," calling that "bad reporting" and "unfair to him and to the Mavs." Irving himself kept it measured, saying, "I'm right on schedule." Dallas re‑signed him to a three‑year, $119 million deal and added D'Angelo Russell, though he likely won't be fully available at the season opener. Merlin sees encouraging signs — perfect jumpers in workouts and a team willing to wait — but knows ACL returns are a marathon, not a highlight reel. The Mavs have depth and youth coming, so patience is the strategy: hope tempered by caution. The true answer will come in contact drills and regular‑season minutes, not camp clips.