The Dallas Mavericks are hoping to keep their season alive after trading Luka Doncic just to get hit by an injury bug that sidelined every center on the roster and multiple frontcourt players. The load on Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season is tremendous as the only elite perimeter creator and scorer now that Doncic isn’t on the roster.
Irving can be a free agent this summer but is concerning Mavs fans with his social media actions. Fans have noticed that Irving has added the Lakers’ purple and gold to his X profile, sparking concerns about him eyeing the Lakers as his next destination.
Kyrie’s color scheme #observing pic.twitter.com/DYPkLq6ZRF
— el ❤️🔥⸆⸉ (@eleesalw) February 12, 2025
Initially, it was just the banner which had the purple and white text, but Irving has also updated his profile picture to something reminiscent of the Lakers colors. Everyone knows Irving wanted to join the Lakers in 2023 when the Brooklyn Nets forcefully traded him to Dallas. Thankfully, Irving re-signed with the team on a 2+1 contract which could be up this season if he opts out of making $43 million.
With Doncic’s departure and Irving being the only ball-handling creator not named Spencer Dinwiddie or Jaden Hardy, he likely will opt out of the $40 that he’s owed to try and get a bigger deal. His market value is in a much better position now as well, with two drama-free seasons in Dallas where he became an All-Star again and made the NBA Finals.
He’s averaging 24.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this season. His production has been inconsistent, but he needs to prove to the world he can still be a No. 1 option in the absence of the Mavs’ frontcourt to keep them in the Playoff race.
Could Kyrie Irving Force A Move To LA?
The conspiracy theories about Irving rejoining both LeBron James and Luka on the Lakers are already going crazy. Playing alongside LeBron was his goal a few years ago, and he thrived playing alongside Doncic. Transitioning into a role as a microwave scorer playing off both Luka and LeBron might be his best path to a ring.
The issue in taking this seriously comes when you analyze the salary situation of both teams. The Mavericks are incentivized to give Irving a max contract extension because of his increased workload in the absence of Doncic. There isn’t even a guard replacement they could target to improve their situation, so the Mavericks will do everything they can to ensure Kyrie doesn’t leave.
Even though the story of Kyrie joining the Lakers is more romantic, there isn’t a realistic scenario in which the Lakers can create enough cap space to sign Kyrie while the Mavericks can offer him whatever they want.
The changing of social media profiles could just be a negotiating tactic for Irving. The Mavericks front office knows he could join the Lakers given his affinity for the franchise and the players on there. Irving also has major ideological differences with the current Mavericks’ owners which could play a part in his eventual departure.
Ultimately, it seems Irving is positioning himself to make sure the Mavericks break the bank to retain him. The franchise will be a laughing stock if Irving walks as a free agent, so this is going to be a negotiation we have to keep our eyes on going forward.
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