A rather bizarre report surfaced Monday night in the United States, when one of the country's top journalists, Shams Charania, claimed that Kyrie Irving had approached LeBron James in an attempt to convince him to play in Dallas next season.
This isn't the first time the possibility of a reunion between the duo that brought a championship to Cleveland in 2016 has been on the agenda, but so far, the potential collaboration should have happened in Los Angeles. Irving becomes a free agent this summer, and even before that, last February, he was mentioned as a candidate to move to the Lakers in a trade, before eventually landing in Dallas. Now, theoretically, the point guard could leave the Mavs and join a team from the City of Angels, which could free up $30 million to $35 million in salary cap for him.
LeBron himself had already expressed a desire to see Irving in Los Angeles, and even spoken out publicly about it, but in the end it was Dallas that offered Brooklyn the most attractive package before the trade window closed. "The fact that Irving is courting LeBron shows that he is inclined to extend his contract with Dallas, which could offer him the most money," The Athletic wrote.
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An impressive end to the season and a nice run in the playoffs changed things for the Lakers as well, it said. "Right now, they're not interested in Kyrie," The Athletic reported, arguing that the possibility of LeBron landing in Dallas this summer is "unrealistic": "Logistically it's unlikely, although technically it's possible."
LeBron has already hinted at retiring from basketball, but the U.S. believes it's just a tactic — an attempt to pressure his teammates to bolster the roster for next season. "Assuming he plays next season," The Athletic wrote, the easiest way to bring LeBron to Dallas would be in a trade, but the Mavericks don't have assets to tempt the Lakers. They'll need a bigger package from Tim Hardaway Jr., Davis Bertans, Josh Green, Jaden Hardy and the 10th pick in the draft. The Lakers just aren't interested."
In the highly unlikely event Dallas will put its big star Luka Doncic on the table, "So yes, the Lakers will probably listen. But other than that, they're not going to send LeBron in a trade to Dallas. LeBron can press, but that will only lead to complicated power struggles. LeBron has a great relationship with Jason Kidd and has spoken out in the past about his admiration for Doncic, but it's unlikely that such a move could happen."
According to the Dallas Morning News, one of the reasons the Mavs were eager to add Irving during the season was his good relationship with the league's stars: "He has a proven history of star combination, like with Kevin Durant who moved from Golden State to Brooklyn. However, adding LeBron seems highly unlikely — though not impossible. Kyrie's intention is likely to signal to the Lakers that he intends to accept an offer he has from Dallas, rather than taking a lower contract with the Lakers."
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- LeBron James
- Kyrie Irving
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Lakers
