NEWSLETTER
The NBA season isn’t even over yet, but we’ve already entered full-blown offseason chaos mode. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Kyrie Irving has “reached out” to LeBron James about teaming up in Dallas.
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes went on to echo this report, adding even more context about the Mavericks’ desire to form a Big 3 around James, Irving, and Luke Doncic.
“A new twist has emerged in the LeBron James-Kyrie Irving reunion plot, as league sources have told Bleacher Report Irving wants the Dallas Mavericks to explore trading for LeBron James this offseason to create a Big 3 alongside himself and Luka Doncic,” Haynes wrote on Monday.
This news comes only a couple of weeks after James and the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. LeBron James sat in front of media members during the postgame and opened the door to a possible retirement for the first time in his career.
While I’m pretty sure nobody believes James would hang up his sneakers, the words were a reminder that the end is coming eventually. With that being the case, it’s not crazy to think that James would consider other teams if Los Angeles wasn’t able to provide him with the championship-caliber roster he covets.
Still, it’s hard to foresee a world where James can easily maneuver his way to Dallas. He’s currently on the books for $46.9 million in the 2023-24 season before having a $50.6 million player option in 2024-25. Not only do the Mavs have limited assets after trading a haul for Irving at the deadline, but acquiring that much salary to put alongside Doncic and whatever Irving gets would be nearly impossible under the NBA’s new CBA. The league’s new deal has put in place extremely harsh penalties for franchises that greatly exceed the luxury tax threshold.
With all of that in mind, Haynes noted that LeBron James would likely have to (1) reach a buyout with LA to head to Dallas and (2) take a pay cut for everything to work out smoothly. Is that really something he’s prepared to do?
This also isn’t the first time that Dallas has considered making a run at The King. Haynes reported that Dallas was actually prepared to make an offer to LA for James around last season’s trade deadline. Instead, the Lakers sought out roster upgrades to help James make a playoff run.
So, yeah, here we are. It’s basically the crack of dawn and the NBA is already drunk! If I had to guess, these rumors turn into Irving considered a cheaper deal to sign with James and Anthony Davis in LA. But we also know to expect the unexpected when it comes to this league. We’ll keep ya updated.
