Kyrie Irving would like to team up with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate LeBron James this offseason. However, this doesn’t include him joining the Los Angeles Lakers as many predicted. Instead, Irving would like to have the reunion happen in Dallas.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Irving recently reached out to James to see whether he would like to play alongside him with the Mavericks.
It is interesting to hear that Irving is inviting James to Dallas, especially since it isn’t certain whether he’ll be there. Irving is a free agent this offseason, and even though the Mavs can offer him the most money, he might be looking elsewhere if an opportunity arises.
While the trio of Irving, James, and Luka Doncic would be widely entertaining to watch, the chances of that happening are slim to none. This is mainly because James would have to want to come to Dallas, and the Lakers would need to be willing to let him go. From there, the Mavs would need to strip down their roster just to fit the salaries of their Big 3 under the salary cap.
The more realistic option is that Irving and James join forces in Los Angeles. The Lakers would be able to sign Irving if he is willing to take less money or acquire him in a sign-and-trade with the Mavs.
Irving joined the Mavericks ahead of the NBA trade deadline from the Brooklyn Nets. He averaged 26.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.0 assists in 20 games he played for the Mavs but failed to help the franchise make the playoffs.
