Kyrie Irving was at the heart of the Dallas Mavericks‘ run to the NBA Finals last season. Then in the off-season, his friendship with Klay Thompson helped the Mavs recruit the shooting guard on a three-year contract in July. But in the same month fractured his left hand while training and had to undergo surgery. Since then, there has been speculation on when can the point guard return to the Mavs camp.

Last season, despite his impressive numbers Irving missed out on the ninth All-Star appearance due to injuries. A heel contusion kept him out for 12 games in December. Other nagging injury issues stopped him from reaching the 65-game threshold, which would have made him eligible for All-NBA consideration. With his off-season injury, the Mavs fans were fearing the worst, but there have been positive developments.

Speaking on the DLLS Mavericks Podcast, Mark Stein noted how nearly all of the Mavericks roster, except for Luca Doncic and Dwight Powell, has gathered in Los Angeles, for an “unofficial mini camp,” before the actual training camp gets underway. “From what I am told Kyrie Irving, we know, in July had the surgery on the left hand but Kyrie I’m told he was there (camp) throughout. He was very limited in what he could do. At this point, he has not been cleared yet for a full 5-on-5 hoop.”

Even though he is not completely cleared to play, Irving seems to be eager to join his friend Thompson on the court. But Stein also provided a positive update on Uncle Drew’s status.

“What I am told is, he remains on the court to be cleared in time. For training camps, I don’t think there is any concern there.” So this unofficial camp brings two sets of good news for the Dallas Mavericks faithful.

First, is obviously the one Stein mentioned about Irving’s return for the training camp and the other is the fact that despite reaching the NBA Finals, the players are already working toward the next season to build chemistry and camaraderie, especially given the new arrivals in the postseason. This could only be an encouraging sign for those hoping to see them go the distance in the new season.

The Mavericks are aiming for a strong start and the arrival of Klay Thompson on a $50 million contract and soon to be fit again Kyrie Irving will be key to their hopes. During the offseason, Irving was in touch with Thompson and sent him texts about how Dallas embraced him after he joined from the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.

Their friendship goes way back to the 2016 Rio Olympics when they okayed together for Team USA. “Kyrie and I are good friends. I mean, we came to league together in 2011. We played on Team USA together twice. Obviously, we played against each other in the highest stages for many years, and I’ve always been a fan of Kai’s game,” Thompson said after he was introduced to the media at the American Airlines Center on July 9. He also admitted that “guarding him was hell” and it was nice to be “on the other end of that for once.”

With Thompson in their ranks, the Mavs would be keen to mount another challenge for the championship after being thwarted by the Celtics in the final this year.

Last season, Irving averaged 25.6 points, five rebounds, and 5.2 assists but came unstuck in the finals averaging 19.8 points and five assists. Despite a tight defense, the offense suffered due to a lack of quality away from Irving and Doncic, but with Thompson’s addition that issue will be resolved due to his 3-point shooting.

Well, Thompson and Irving are already getting on with preparations for the new season but what about Luka Doncic? The Slovenian baller wasn’t present for the mini-camp according to Stein. So where is he?

Why didn’t Luka Doncic join the “unofficial camp” in LA?

The Slovenian baller is undoubtedly the centerpiece of the Mavs’ attack. The MVP-level player’s absence is a big miss for the team, considering the star’s involvement in almost every single offensive play. Speaking of Doncic’s absence, Marc Stein said, “The only people who were not there and there were always expected to be there because they’re foreign-based players. Luka, who is here in Slovenia for the (Goran) Dragic farewell weekend.”

Slovenian legend Goran Dragic called it a day after 16 NBA seasons and led the Slovenian national side to its first-ever European basketball championship in 2017. To celebrate his career, a three-day celebration was held which included an exhibition match on August 24, dubbed the “Night of the Dragon” to cap off the festivities. The match featured Doncic and other Mavs icons Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash.

Nevertheless, Luka Doncic hopefully would fly back to America for the ‘official’ training camp. Now that the team has another ace shooter,  in the lineup, Jason Kidd may have to draw up new plans. With the lack of a enough shooting threat apart from Kai & Luka, the Mavs struggled to find space against the Boston Celtics. However, with the triple threat after the Klay Thompson inclusion, the Celts may find the Mavs tougher.

With a strengthened lineup that includes new additions like Klay Thompson, the Mavericks are positioning themselves as contenders for the upcoming season. However, much will depend on how quickly Kyrie Irving can return to full fitness. Will the Mavs win the ring this time? Let us know in the comments.