LeBron James pushed for the Los Angeles Lakers to sign Kyrie Irving during the trade window earlier this year, but now the Dallas Mavericks player has called for his franchise to make the move instead.
The Lakers were swept 4-0 by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, and James teased retirement after being dumped out of the playoffs. It's unlikely that James will retire due to still having outstanding objectives on his career bucket-list, but that doesn't guarantee that his future remains with the Lakers.
A reunion between James and Irving has been rumoured for some time, but after the Lakers passed up the opportunity to trade for the wantaway Brooklyn Nets forward in February it looked like it would never happen. However, Irving is looking to take matters into his own hands by putting pressure on the Mavericks to trade for James instead.
According to multiple sources, reported by The Athletic and Bleacher Report, Irving wants the Mavericks to bring in James this offseason to create a stunning triple-threat alongside himself and Luka Doncic. Irving is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but his ambitious plans suggest that he could be open to staying with the Mavericks.
But his decision could hinge on a possible trade for James, who is entering his final year at the Lakers. James wanted to play alongside Irving this season, and was upset when the Lakers decided not to go for the 31-year-old.
"I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent, but [also] someone that I had great chemistry with, and know I got great chemistry with on the floor, that can help you win championships, in my mind, in my eyes," James said. And the Lakers forward was also distraught after being stopped by the Nuggets on their route to the NBA Finals.
"We'll see what happens going forward," James said after the loss in Game 4. "I don't know. I don't know. I've got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to think about."
It raised concerns about his future in the game, but Irving could use that to his advantage by giving James a potential outlet in Dallas. According to Shannon Sharpe, that could be the only way of seeing a reunion between James and Irving, due to the track record of the latter.
Sharpe knows that James would love to play with Irving again, as he's comfortable alongside those who he's previously won with. But the controversies that follow Irving off the court have made him somewhat untouchable, meaning James may have to go to him.
"LeBron likes playing with guys that he's played with before, that he's won with before, he understands what they're capable of doing and how to maximise their ability," Sharpe said on Undisputed. "LeBron won a title with Kyrie, he knows that Kyrie is dynamic and one of his greatest accomplishments is keeping him on the rails for three years.
"He's been able to get more out of Kyrie than any other player has. So I'm not surprised that LeBron wants Kyrie. But I'm also not surprised the Lakers are reluctant to say 'go and get Kyrie' given his history and what has transpired at the end of Cleveland, in Boston, in Brooklyn.
"That can't be overlooked. I believe that LeBron James wants Kyrie, but I don't know how it's going to work."
