Kyrie Irving has a $42.9 million player option for next season with the Dallas Mavericks. His ACL injury last month will keep him out for a significant portion of the season.

Irving made his ninth NBA All-Star Game this season and was likely on his way to an All-NBA selection before he went down with his ACL injury. He was keeping the Mavericks afloat after the Luka Doncic trade and Anthony Davis injury, but now that responsibility is on Davis.

Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has been out of the Dallas lineup since March 3. But he underwent successful surgery Wednesday.

Armed with former All-Stars Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Domantas Sabonis, the Kings would be a tough play-in opponent for the Mavericks — as would the Suns, who boast 15-time All-Star power forward Kevin Durant, four-time All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker and former three-time All-Star combo guard Bradley Beal.

Neither Dereck Lively nor Daniel Gafford is expected to play on Saturday in Chicago, but the two Mavericks big men are trending in the right direction in their injury recoveries. Lively and Gafford were upgraded from “out” to “doubtful” for Saturday’s game,

After trading away superstar guard Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks were in shambles, but the new addition of ten-time NBA All-Star Anthony Davis gave a glimmer of hope. Unfortunately for Davis and the Mavericks,