When Kyrie Irving forced his way out of Cleveland in 2017, nobody imagined he’d ever play with LeBron James again. Yet, in 2023, the possibility of a potential LeBron/Irving reunion is a very real one, with free agency looming. Here’s what we know so far: LeBron himself has advocated for the Lakers to sign his former teammate, and they had a chance to trade for him at the deadline before the Mavericks beat them with a better offer.
This summer, the Lakers will be in a favorable position to pick up Irving if they want… but apparently, they are still unsure about actively pursuing the veteran point guard.
“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,” wrote The Athletic’s Jovan Buha.
The Lakers maintained on Monday that they aren’t interested in adding Kyrie Irving this summer, according to multiple team sources.
On Irving’s recruitment of LeBron James, the “unrealistic” paths for James to Dallas, and the most likely outcome: https://t.co/9vs7yrZZFZ
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) June 5, 2023
To go against the wishes of LeBron James and ignore the services of a champion and All-NBA player in Kyrie is a bold move for the Lakers and one that LeBron may not be thrilled about. Irving no doubt comes with a lot of baggage, but his talent would put the Lakers back in a position to win the title, and that’s all LeBron is playing for at this point of his career.
LeBron Is Putting Pressure On The Lakers
Depending on your perspective, you could say the Lakers are in an all-out cold war right now. On the one hand, you’ve got the front office, who have been resistant to adding Kyrie. On the other is LeBron, who is seemingly doing everything he can to force his team’s hand.
It will be interesting to see who wins out in the end, but LeBron will be heard one way or another.
“I’d bet on LeBron’s comments in part being a negotiation tactic: I’ll retire unless you go all-in next season,” said NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor. “And the player James probably wants the Lakers to acquire is Kyrie Irving.”
The Lakers are not in the business of mediocrity. With LeBron, AD, and plenty of talent across the roster, they have big aspirations next season, and Kyrie (if he stays on his best behavior) would make life easier for everyone on the team.
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