Deep in the Heart of Texas…
The talk of a possible reunion between LeBron James and Kyrie Irving has been non-stop since Irving demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets last year. And it almost happened before negotiations between the Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers broke down prior to the February trade deadline. Irving ended up spending the second half of the 2022-2023 NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks, but his desire for a reunion evidently hasn’t subsided.
Ultimately, the Mavs fell behind in the Western Conference standings and missed the play-in tournament. Meanwhile, the Lakers exceeded expectations and reached the West Finals before being swept by the Denver Nuggets.
This led to LeBron publicly pondering his future, in perhaps one of the worst attempts to exude influence over a team in recent memory, by feigning a desire to retire. Since then however, talks of LeBron and Kyrie have taken a markedly different turn.
A Reunion in Dallas Now In Play
Reports now claim Kyrie Irving spoke to LeBron James about a reunion in Dallas. While a trade is theoretically possible for the Mavs to acquire LeBron James, observers believe it would be next to impossible for any deal involving LeBron James to reach the negotiation table without including a big name such as Luka Doncic in the deal.
And that’s were things break down. Although he’s 38 years old, he just averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 50% field goal shooting during the 2022-2023 season. And with the Mavs emptying their bench in order to acquire Kyrie in the first place, that leaves them with little of value to bring to the table in a possible James centred deal.
Another reason why any team interested in acquiring LeBron James should feel reluctant is the ongoing worries surrounding his long-term health. Reports came out after the Lakers’ sweep that LeBron James was battling a foot injury that will likely require surgery. Assuming any team would explore the possibility of acquiring James, one of the things a team would have to weigh is how much longer LeBron can continue to defy father time.
The Other Alternative
Let’s face it: a Dallas-LA trade involving LeBron James without a big name from the Mavs is impossible. Dallas has also moved their 1st & 2nd rounders in 2029, 2nd in 2028, 2nd in 2027, 2nd in 2026, 1st & 2nd in 2024, and their 2nd in 2023, meaning they don’t exactly have a treasure trove of remaining draft capital either. However, there is an alternative that would allow the Lakers to gain some more financial flexibility and allow LeBron James to move on without a prolonged “will they, won’t they” trade saga.
Some have speculated that the Lakers could entertain a team friendly buyout option. LeBron signed a two-year $97-million extension last August with a player option for the 2024-2025 season. However with the new CBA kicking in, and the Lakers reluctance to ever waive the white flag, this seems particularly far-fetched.
Then there’s also the Draymond Green factor at play, as the Warriors forward has been batting his eyelashes at James & Co. for some time now. While in theory a big 4 of James, Kyrie, Green, and Doncic would instantly make the Mavericks legitimate contenders in the West, the sheer number of hurdles the Dallas front office would need to clear in order for this to happen is astronomical.
So while it’s an entertaining thought experiment to play the “what if” game, the reality is that it would be downright shocking for it to play out in reality. Even for a league as star driven and player oriented as the NBA.
-Iggy Gonzales
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.