Mavericks: Kyrie Irving wants LeBon James in Dallas following recent reports
As the Dallas Mavericks offseason heats up, Kyrie Irving wants his old friend to join him in Dallas.
The latest twist in the Dallas Mavericks offseason saga comes in the form of arguably the greatest player of all time, LeBron James.
It was reported on Monday by Shams Charania of The Athletic and confirmed by Bleacher Report that Kyrie Irving wants the Mavericks to explore a potential trade for James this summer to create a big three of Luka Doncic, Irving, and his partner in the Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 NBA championship James.
This is just the latest domino indicating that Irving and James are seriously contemplating a reunion soon. James has made it clear since February's trade deadline that he would like to play with Irving. And Irving has made it clear that he plans to walk through his free-agent process exploring all of his options before making the best decision for himself and his family.
A source recently told Bleacher Report that the Mavericks were preparing to make an offer for James last season when the Lakers were spiraling, but what halted the process was James' inability to be traded due to the timing of his contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.
What may hinder the Mavericks from making any Doncic-Irving-James big three is the current collective bargaining agreement. The new CBA will hard-cap teams in spending, and unless Irving takes a significant pay cut, a trade for James this summer is nearly impossible.
The easiest path forward for a James and Irving team-up in Dallas is orchestrating some sort of buyout with James' contract in Los Angeles. At 38 years old, James has one year, $46.9 million remaining on his contract, and also holds a $50.6 million player option for the 2024-25 season.
But it isn't even clear James plays next season. Following the Lakers' second-round loss to the Denver Nuggets, James indicated that he is seriously thinking about retirement.
If James doesn't retire, he would then need to request a trade from the Lakers, which feels extremely unlikely.
And regardless, the hurdles the Mavericks would have to clear to trade for James are unlikely at best and not possible at worst. Free agency begins June 30, until then all anyone can do is speculate.
Feature image via Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports.
