Which injured former All-Star is primed for a comeback in the 2026-27 NBA season?

The 2026 NBA pre-season is in full effect and all 30 teams are previewing what they have to offer. Each team has played at least two games with their regulars, bench players and rookies in rotation. The pre-season also marks the return of several former All-star guards, who missed all the 2025-2026 season due to injuries. These former All-stars include Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks, Damien Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Fred VanVleet of the Houston Rockets. Each guard returns to their team after missing all of last season and will have the opportunity to make a difference in the 2026–2027 season. It is time to look back at what these former stars missed last season and what they can make up for during this new season. Starting with Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers. Tyrese Haliburton returns to the Pacers a year after the Pacers experienced their worst season in franchise history. The Pacers missed the playoffs during the 2025-2026 season, won just 19 games and lost their protected lottery pick in a trade deadline move with the Los Angeles Clippers. Halliburton, who was the face of the Pacers from 2022 to 2025, gets an opportunity to put the Pacers back in championship contention. The Pacers had gone all the way to the NBA finals in 2025 prior to the 2025-2026 season. Halliburton was the leader of the Pacers run as they won the Eastern Conference before losing to the eventual champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals. Haliburton looks to bounce back after recovering and rehabbing from a torn achilles in game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Next it's time to reflect on Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks. Kyrie Irving returns to the Dallas Mavericks after missing the very end of the 2024-2025 season and all the 2025-2026 season. Irving tore his achilles back in February 2025 following the famous Luka Dončić to the Lakers trade. Irving has not played in an NBA game in more than a year and a half. While Irving was rehabbing from his achilles injury, the Mavericks lost in the second leg of the 2025 NBA play-in tournament, won the 2025 NBA Lottery, and missed the playoffs and play-in tournament entirely in the 2025-2026 season. The Mavericks were one of the worst teams last season but saw growth from their rookie number one pick Cooper Flagg. Irving return the Mavericks and pairs with Flagg as a new duo in Dallas. The Mavericks look to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2023-2024 NBA season, the year they made it to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Next it's Damien Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. Damien Lillard returns to the Blazers after missing all the 2025-2026 season recovering from a torn achilles that he suffered while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Lillard had returned with the Blazers last offseason but did not play in any games. He had spent his entire career playing in Portland from 2012 to 2023 before requesting a trade during the 2023 NBA offseason. His next two seasons were spent in Milwaukee, helping the Bucks reach the playoffs in back-to-back seasons but experiencing back-to-back first round exits. Lillard will enter the 2026-2027 season with the goal of helping the Blazers return to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons. He will join newcomer and former All-star Ja Morant as they team up with last season's All-star Deni Avdija, as Portland looks to make improvements following a first-round exit to the Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs. Lastly, there's Fred VanVleet of the Houston Rockets. Fred VanVleet returns to the Rockets after missing all of last season, recovering from an off-season torn meniscus. VanVleet now has the opportunity to play with future Hall of Famer, Kevin Durant, who was acquired during the 2025 NBA offseason. The Rockets made the playoffs last season but lost in the first round to an injury-plagued Los Angeles Lakers team missing Luka Dončić. VanVleet will be the veteran point guard that was missing from the Rockets' rotation all last season. His veteran presence will play a major role in the young Rockets offensive system. So which former NBA All-star can bounce back with a great comeback season? Can these four guards lead their respective teams back into the playoffs? The NBA preseason has its moments of relevancy and excitement, but the true tale will begin once the regular season commences on October 20th.