Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard Kyrie Irving could miss the rest of the regular season with a strained tendon in his left bicep that will keep him sidelined for a minimum of two weeks.
The off-injured, 21-year-old Irving was hurt during the Cavs’ Sunday night thrashing by the L.A. Clippers after bumping into Blake Griffin and left the game early in the first half. He never returned and by the end of the night was seen leaving the arena with his arm in a sling.
An MRI on Monday revealed Irving has “a strain in the head tendon” of his bicep, according to ESPN. He will be shut down and re-evaluated in two weeks, an exam that is expected to determine what direction the team will take with him for the rest of the season.
The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Cavs, who at 26-41 trail the Hawks by five games for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs also face a stretch where they host the Heat, Thunder and Rockets over the next five days.
Over the last two seasons, Irving has missed 38 games for Cleveland with injuries ranging from a broken nose, fractured jaw, sprained shoulder and a concussion. At a minimum, Irving is now expected to miss at least eight games. In his one college season at Duke, he played in just 11 games after suffering a right toe injury.
The Cavs can offer the third-year veteran a maximum-year deal as early as this summer, but now more and more speculation is building the team might factor in his spotty medical history in coming to their decision. When healthy, Irving has proven himself to be one of the league’s best young talents, averaging 22 points and six assists this season and 21 points and six assists over his career.
Irving also starred during last month’s NBA All-Star Game, leading the East to a come-from-behind 163-155 win over the West, bagging 31 points and 14 assists along the way to walk away with game MVP honors.
