NBA Rumors: Kyrie Irving Recruiting LeBron James With Destination In Mind

The NBA silly season apparently is off to a quick start, thanks to Kyrie Irving and LeBron James.

Because of course.

There has been plenty of speculation about James’ future, and if Irving had it his way, it seems like he would like a reunion with his former teammate. The twist? Irving reportedly doesn’t want to go to Los Angeles. Rather, he wants to team up with James in Dallas.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported Monday that Irving reached out to James to see if he wants to join him on the Mavericks.

Dallas traded for Irving this past season as a last-ditch effort to make a run at the playoffs. Ultimately, it flopped. Irving and superstar Luka Doncic couldn’t push the Mavs over the finish line, and Irving is now a free agent. As for why it might happen in Dallas and not LA, a separate report from The Athletic in May stated the Lakers aren’t interested in Irving.

As for James, it’s an interesting possibility. He is technically still under contract with the Lakers, though he did say he might consider retirement this summer. That, of course, could be nothing more than a power play to get what he wants from LA in an ongoing team-building effort. If that doesn’t happen, perhaps he could force a trade to a destination of his choosing … like Dallas.

They have since removed the prop, but PointsBet Sportsbook late last month offered odds on James’ team for the 2023-24 season. The Lakers and retirement led the pack, and the Mavericks were part of a group of teams at 20-1.

James and Irving haven’t done much to hide their reconciliation and public flirtations, so it wouldn’t be a shocker to see them reunite. If it did happen in Dallas, that would give the Mavericks a formidable big three of LeBron, Kyrie and Luka. Whether that would actually work is an entirely different story.

Given the way the Mavericks’ season flamed out, making a major move like this might go a long way in keeping Doncic happy and settled. According to one report, there was “fear” within the organization that Doncic could walk next summer if the team couldn’t build a contender around him.