Getty Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers‘ season didn’t end quite as LeBron James would’ve wanted. The team got swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals and it’s clear they were outmatched. While the Lakers made great strides toward the end of the season, they’ll need to make some moves if they hope to compete with the Nuggets next season.
One move that has been rumored is a possible Kyrie Irving-LeBron reunion. However, it may not happen on the Lakers. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Irving “has reached out” to LeBron to gauge his interest in possibly coming to the Dallas Mavericks.
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.
Irving is going to be a free agent but it sounds like he’s open to returning to the team and wants arguably the greatest player ever to join him. The two had success on the Cleveland Cavaliers when they played together and won a championship. Irving has not been able to reach the same heights since leaving LeBron. The idea of running it back has been of interest to LeBron but going to Dallas may not be as exciting. If the Lakers don’t have a plan to make many big moves, this could be something to watch in the coming months.
Mavericks Considered LeBron Trade Previously
Irving isn’t the only one in Dallas interested in getting LeBron on the Mavericks. According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the team was getting ready to make an offer for the superstar forward during the 2022-23 season when it looked like the Lakers weren’t going anywhere:
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 contract extension LeBron signed in the offseason made it impossible for the team to trade him before the deadline so it was a moot point. However, he is now eligible for a trade now.
Would LeBron Want to Play in Dallas?
Irving recruiting LeBron to the Mavericks shouldn’t come as a surprise. The two have squashed any beef they’ve previously had and are close again. They’ve been trying to reunite in Los Angeles but the stars haven’t aligned. It’s now looking like the Lakers don’t want to get involved with Irving, which is likely why he’s trying to get LeBron to Dallas.
The problem is that going to the Mavericks doesn’t make much sense for the forward. Dallas didn’t even make the playoffs last season with Irving and Luka Doncic on the roster. Adding LeBron would mean that the Mavericks would have almost no roster depth. LeBron may like the idea of not having to be a primary ballhandler anymore but his son is going to USC and he has many business ventures in Los Angeles. If the Mavericks were a better team last season that could really use LeBron, it could be tempting but the Lakers are in a better spot right now. It makes little sense for him to realistically entertain this idea.