Before Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, NBA insider Ben Golliver had put out quite an interesting scenario that could happen in the future. With how the Mavericks have fallen to 36-39 on the season, he might end up being right on the money.
On the GOAT NBA Podcast, Golliver suggested the Los Angeles Lakers should let the Mavericks land Kyrie as he will be like a ‘Trojan Horse’ that destroys them from the inside. He mentioned that the Mavs GM Nico Harrison, who was vice president of American Basketball operations at Nike, already lost Jalen Brunson last summer when he signed with the Knicks. Harrison would want to land Irving to make up for that mistake, and that would eventually lead to Luka Doncic leaving the franchise.
“I have a better Lakers plan for how they should approach this Kyrie situation,” Golliver said. “Honestly, I think it’s a much better plan. It’s more devious, it’s much more long-term focused. It’s much more shrewd. Honestly, probably completely unrealistic. But this is what the Lakers should do.”
“They need to treat Kyrie Irving like a Trojan Horse. They need to do whatever they can possibly do to talk up his value, their interest in him, (and) his ability to be a part of a championship core. They need to pull out all the Klutch stops. To build up Kyrie Irving as this dramatic franchise-changing asset. They need to get the Dallas Mavericks to bite. If there’s another team that’s as desperate as the Lakers, or close to as desperate as the Lakers, for a superstar-level addition, it is the Dallas Mavericks.”
“Nico Harrison’s first thing on the job was losing Jalen Brunson, a near All-Star level player. That’s like his first welcome to the NBA moment. Congratulations, welcome from Nike, there goes your talent, stolen out from underneath you. Mark Cuban’s facing questions about has he lost his fastball as an owner.”
“It’s been an awful long time since they’ve been a team in the mix for big stars. (Kristaps) Porzingis thing blows up. Brunson leaves. Reputations in tatters. The Luka conversation (of) is he going to be happy etc etc. all that is already bubbling, and he just signed his extension on his rookie contract. So what I’m saying is Trojan horse.”
“There is no better way to blow up the Dallas Mavericks culture from the inside than dropping Kyrie Irving on a team with Luka Doncic and having that thing go completely crazy. If Kyrie can’t make it work in Brooklyn, how the hell is he going to live in Texas on a regular basis? The long-term plan here is steal Luka from the Dallas Mavericks (and) make him the next face of the Los Angeles Lakers. And the best possible way the Lakers can do that right now is to coax Kyrie Irving into Dallas, have that thing blow up.”
“You got to wait a couple years until it all plays out. That’s how #77 (gets) into Forum Blue and Gold. You don’t bring Kyrie yourself. You kick him to Dallas, and watch the whole thing ignite.”
You can listen to what he said, below:
(2/2) pic.twitter.com/FTQhJoImkr
— NoTechBen (@NoTechBen) February 7, 2023
This would have sounded quite unrealistic when the Mavs acquired Irving, but the way things are going, it might well happen. Irving is also a free agent in the summer, and some reports indicate he will try to sign or force a sign-and-trade to head to the Lakers.
The team’s struggles just give Kyrie yet another reason to leave, and that would mean Luka wouldn’t have any All-Star caliber teammates. The Mavs wouldn’t have a lot of assets to pull off some big trade either, and Doncic won’t be too happy to be stuck in that situation. A report stated that he had pushed the Mavs to acquire Kyrie because he was frustrated that the team was nowhere near contending for a title. Kyrie’s potential departure would mean they’d have no chance whatsoever and Luka, who has a player option for the 2026-27 season, might start considering his options.
He might wait to see what LeBron James does in his free agency as he looks to play with his son Bronny James. If LeBron leaves, then Doncic could request a trade to the Lakers to be the new face of the franchise. The Lakers would be the perfect destination from a marketing standpoint as well for a superstar like Doncic, who should win multiple MVPs over the course of his career. He is already one of the best players in the league at just 24 years old, and the sky is the limit for the Slovenian.
Luka Doncic Is Really Frustrated At The Moment
Doncic has been averaging 33.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 8.2 APG this season, but it hasn’t been enough to lift a team that is mired in mediocrity. He admitted he is really frustrated at the moment, and that is not good for Dallas.
A generational player like Luka comes around so rarely, and he could end up leaving because the Mavericks haven’t surrounded him with the right pieces over the years. The Lakers might well end up thanking their lucky stars that Irving did end up in Dallas and didn’t join them last month.
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