The Los Angeles Lakers are not interested in pursuing Dallas Mavericks All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving this summer, according to NBA insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
Irving, 31, becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.
“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,” Buha wrote
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Lakers superstar small forward LeBron James wants to reunite with Irving in Los Angeles, while Irving wants to reunite with James in Dallas. According to Buha, LeBron is “not using Irving’s interest in playing with him as leverage to try to get the Lakers to trade for Irving this offseason.”
“From the moment James hinted at retirement following the Lakers being swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals, there was a sense among those with and around the organization that his comments were partly a tactic to apply pressure on the franchise to make a significant roster upgrade this offseason,” Buha wrote. “James’ preferred upgrade, many assumed, was Irving. But one team source indicated that James is not using Irving’s interest in playing with him as leverage to try to get the Lakers to trade for Irving this offseason.”
James and Irving were teammates on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-15 to 2016-17. The two future Hall of Famers played in three consecutive NBA Finals and led the Cavs to the 2016 title over the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in seven games.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
LeBron wanted the Lakers to trade for Irving after the Duke product requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. However, the Mavericks acquired Irving.
Los Angeles lost to the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 Western Conference Finals in four games, while Dallas didn’t even make the play-in tournament. James is not a fan of Lakers starting point guard D’Angelo Russell, so it will be fascinating to see who the starting floor general for Los Angeles is next season.
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