AFP
KEY POINTS
- Kyrie Irving tries to lure LeBron James to join him in Dallas
- Many feel it was meant to pressure the Lakers to bring Irving to Hollywood
- The Lakers are urged to be more careful in their player acquisition
Kyrie Irving will be under the radar this NBA offseason, with most wondering if he will stay or leave the Dallas Mavericks.
After severing his ties with the Brooklyn Nets, the 31-year-old cager conspicuously ended up with the Mavs.
The move did not escape criticism, with most questioning how the eight-time All-Star would co-exist with Mavericks talisman Luka Doncic.
After the trade last February, most saw the Mavericks owning one of the most talented backcourts in the NBA.
However, all that dissipated quickly with the Mavericks failing to book a seat in the 2023 NBA playoffs.
Hence, it justified the insights of critics, most criticizing if the move to trade for Irving and give up several assets was a wise one by Dallas.
Some even associated it as a move to possibly fresh talent from the 2023 NBA Draft with most clubs feasting their eyes on Victor Wembanyama.
In the NBA playoffs, most took note of how Irving was around when the Lakers faced the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
It unsurprisingly caught the attention of most, some suggesting that it would be a sign of things to come.
Among those who noticed that was American journalist Roland Lazenby in his interview with PTV Sports.
“There is Kyrie Irving sitting courtside at Crypto.com Arena for two games. Irving has a big decision with Dallas. He can make a lot more money going to Dallas,” the veteran book author pointed out.
“In America, things haven’t worked out well for Kyrie. He has lost a lot of status with the public and basketball management across the NBA because he is sort of a personality. So the question is [if] that is the right move, That is the drama that will play out. What are the other moves [that] the Lakers are thinking?”
Now, the latest word to come out is that the 2014 NBA All-Star Game MVP has reached out to LeBron James about potentially joining the Mavs next season. This was according to reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
There are a lot of reasons to downplay the possibility of seeing “The King” move to Dallas. That includes the amount of money James could possibly garner from leaving Los Angeles, which the Mavericks are unlikely to consider.
On the other side, it could also be a ploy to pressure the Lakers into adding Irving to the fold.
But as most know, that would equal the big money needed to add “Uncle Drew” to Hollywood.
Furthermore, the Lakers have already brought in multiple young players willing to take on a supporting role behind James and Anthony Davis. That list is led by Austin Reeves, Rui Hachimura, and Jarred Vanderbilt, among others.
There is that possibility that the Lakers would have to part with some of these names to accommodate Irving.
Although they fell short of making it to the NBA Finals, it seems a bit off to tweak the lineup and bring in another superstar which would alter the team’s chemistry.
Most still recall the failed Russell Westbrook experiment, one that was addressed in the nick of time this NBA season.
For the Lakers, they could find themselves in the same predicament once more if they are not careful.
AFP
