This offseason, there has been buzz, yet again, that Kyrie Irving wants to join the Los Angeles Lakers, and that they may be interested in getting him.
Irving will be a free agent at the end of this month, although the Lakers reportedly don’t have any real interest in him.
LeBron James, Irving’s former teammate and friend, has hinted at retirement this offseason, and many believe he is merely putting pressure on Lakers management, possibly to reunite him with Irving. But is there a possibility the reunion happens instead on the Dallas Mavericks?
Irving has reportedly been recruiting James to head to the Lone Star State to join him and Luka Doncic (h/t Lakers Daily).
Sources: Kyrie Irving has reached out to Lakers star LeBron James in attempts to see if James would come to Dallas. Irving is a free agent this offseason.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2023
Via Bleacher Report:
“A new twist has emerged in the LeBron James-Kyrie Irving reunion plot, as league sources have told Bleacher Report Irving wants the Dallas Mavericks to explore trading for LeBron James this offseason to create a Big 3 alongside himself and Luka Doncic,” wrote NBA insider Chris Haynes.
“At this point, it’s no secret Irving and James are open to a reunion from their days playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron has made it clear as recently as February’s trade deadline that he’d be open to playing alongside his former teammate.
“The Mavericks were preparing to make an offer for James last season when the Lakers were spiraling, sources say. But the Lakers made a string of trades near the deadline that changed the trajectory of their season.”
The Lakers are seemingly one or two pieces away from becoming a championship-caliber team again, so it seems unlikely James would demand a trade and even more unlikely they would grant him such a request. But one can never be fully sure when it comes to him and his future.