There have been several updates regarding LeBron James‘ future in the NBA. Some claim that he will hang up his shoes, some have him returning for a 21st season while others are a bunch of trade rumors. Recently, sources claimed that Kyrie Irving reached out to his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate to recruit him to the Dallas Mavericks. This had several fans bursting with excitement over the internet.
Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ exit from the playoffs, the 4x NBA Champion revealed he might retire soon. It is believed that James also told Anthony Davis that he will most likely retire before the 2024 Paris Olympics. LeBron and Kyrie have been on the same team together before reaching the NBA Finals four times while winning one title. They had great chemistry and knew exactly how to work things out.
LeBron James response to Kyrie Irving asking him to join the Dallas Mavericks:
“I’ll think about it” pic.twitter.com/qrDPZdMifH
— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) June 7, 2023
According to Twitter’s Daily Loud, James’ response to Irving was, “I’ll think about it.” If he chooses to join the Mavericks, he will team up with Luka Doncic as well, with whom he’s been great friends over the last couple of years.
A potential Big 3 could happen in a couple of months from now. However, there are several factors James would have to take into consideration before shifting bases to Dallas, such as his family. Bronny had recently committed to USC and James also has a bunch of business ventures based in LA.
The Lakers want Luka Doncic in return for LeBron James
While trade packages are being worked on, the Lakers are demanding a lot that the Mavericks will not be able to fulfill. LA has asked for Luka Doncic in return for LeBron James. Doncic averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 8 assists per game but Dallas missed the playoffs. The Slovenian ranked among the top six MVP-caliber players during previous seasons but he fell away from the top spots after the Mavericks’ disappointing season.
Similarly, James is also an MVP-caliber player. He averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists during the 2022-23 regular season. Even though he never received MVP votes this season, James was given All-NBA honors. He became the all-time leader in points breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of three decades.
“The Lakers could be in the market for a point guard. When you think about the available point guards— Fred VanVleet, Kyrie Irving. Their best bet might be to bring back D’Angelo Russell.”
—Shams Charania
Thoughts? 🤔
(via @FanDuelTV)pic.twitter.com/sI9R74ZPqS
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) June 6, 2023
The Lakers do expect an MVP-caliber player in exchange for their own. James will enter his final year with the Lakers after which he is eligible to sign a player option worth $50 million. If the Mavericks don’t comply with the Lakers’ demand, the latter could very well sign Kyrie. The former Rookie of the Year is currently an unrestricted free agent as well. Kyrie could walk away from Dallas and join the Lakers instead.