Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving’s LeBron James trade idea for Mavericks is pure fantasy.
It is not much of a secret that LeBron James and Kyrie Irving would like to play with each other again. James essentially said as much when the Lakers’ trade deadline bid for Irving fell short. The Brooklyn Nets eventually traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks, who failed to make the NBA Playoffs. Now Irving is set to be an unrestricted free agent, and the rumors about a reunion of the two former Cleveland Cavaliers star is heating up.
When the Lakers’ season ended at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, James mentioned contemplating retirement for the first time in his 20-year career. It was easy to speculate that James mentioned retirement as a way to pressure the Lakers into making another bold addition to the roster — like Irving. While Lakers fans dreamed of adding Irving to the team, Irving apparently had his own ideas.
Irving has approached James about joining the Mavericks for next season, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
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
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes went further, writing that the Mavericks were planning to make a trade offer for James this season when the Lakers’ season was floundering.
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.
Would James really request a trade from the Lakers? Could James, Irving, and Luka Doncic all fit together on the same team? It’s a spicy idea, but it’s not a realistic one.
There’s no realistic way the Mavs can pull off a LeBron James trade
The biggest problem with the Mavericks in the second half of the season was the lack of depth around Irving and Doncic. The two superstars were a brilliant pairing offensively, but it didn’t matter because Dallas had no rim protection, no wing defense, and not enough shooting around them.
The Mavs just don’t have much to offer in a trade. Jaden Hardy and Josh Green are appealing young players, but they’re not fetching you a superstar. Tim Hardaway Jr., and Davis Bertans combine for about $35 million in salary, but they aren’t considered plus values on those deals. Dallas could also sign-and-trade free agent Christian Wood, but he’s not going to move the needle in a trade, either.
It would also be extremely unlikely that James would even be into a move to the Dallas. Consider the following:
LeBron’s son Bronny James is about to start his college career at USC next season
The Lakers made the conference finals this year. The Mavs couldn’t even make the playoffs.
A team with Doncic, James, and Irving would be hard-capped and wouldn’t have much flexibility to add the winning role players teams need in the postseason.
Good try, Kyrie, but adding LeBron to the Mavericks is essentially a fantasy. Now the big question is if Irving will return to Dallas, if he’ll try to join up with James in LA, or if another team can sign him away.
