Amid the wild news that Kyrie is recruiting LeBron to Dallas, the Lakers are maintaining that they’re not interested in Irving.
One of the NBA’s most well-known insiders, Shams Charania dropped the bombshell on Monday that Irving was recruiting LeBron to Dallas.
The NBA world was shocked by Shams’ wild news, because the Irving to Lakers chatter has been a firm narrative since Irving left the Nets.
“The Mavericks were preparing to make an offer for James last season when the Lakers were spiraling, sources say,” Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes also reported.
Lakers reporter for The Athletic, Jovan Buha breaks down everything he knows so far below.
“This is the first time that the possibility of the former teammates, who played together in Cleveland from 2014 through 2017 and won a championship in 2016, teaming up to play in Dallas has appeared viable from either side,” Buha wrote. “Irving’s recruitment of James seems to indicate that he’s leaning toward re-signing with the Mavericks, who can offer him the most money this offseason.
“The Lakers, meanwhile, maintained on Monday that they aren’t interested in adding Irving this summer, according to multiple team sources who aren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
“The primary takeaway from the Lakers’ perspective is that Irving isn’t interested in taking a discount to sign in free agency. Los Angeles would have to trade for him — at his projected maximum salary starting around $47 million, depending on the final salary-cap numbers — to acquire him.”
Many are touting this LeBron to Dallas move to be fairly unlikely and one Lakers source says its “unrealistic.”
Logistically it’s fairly improbable but it is the NBA, so nothing’s impossible.
LeBron is intrigued by the Mavs and certainly has his fair share of connections at the franchise, Insider Marc Stein reports.
“What can be bankably confirmed about any LeBron connection to the Mavericks: Dallas is certainly a team, league sources say, that would intrigue the 38-year-old as a potential landing spot if James ever reached the point of searching for a new place to play,” Stein said. “James is a well-known admirer of Doncic — and vice versa — and maintains close relationships with Mavericks coach Jason Kidd and assistant coach Jared Dudley after their championship run together in the Walt Disney World bubble in Orlando to cap the 2019-20 season.”
Stein also said that Irving to LA is not viable, reporting that sources close to Irving said he “has consistently expressed a desire to remain a Maverick and actually wants to shut down the notion that he’s angling to get to L.A.”
More to come.
Read more: Kyrie Irving Pleads With Fans to Stop the Trade Rumors