Author: Monojit Mandal
For a long time, NBA fans have speculated that Kyrie Irving might join LeBron James at some point in the future. The Los Angeles Lakers even tried to sign the talented point guard as a free agent last summer. Irving ended up returning to the Brooklyn Nets. But then, as the trade deadline approached, rumors emerged that Kyrie would join the Lakers. Fans expected the Lakers to trade Russell Westbrook for Kyrie Irving, but the former Nets star ended up joining Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
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As a result, the long-awaited reunion between Kyrie and LeBron has yet to take place. The first time we saw Irving and James together was during the NBA All-Star Game in 2023. But LA’s inability to get Kai may have been better. The duo of Doncic and Irving looked like a storm brewing in the NBA. Unfortunately, the superstar duo couldn’t get the result, and the Mavericks have already been eliminated from the playoffs this season.
Meanwhile, the Lakers are making the most of the assets acquired in the Westbrook trade. They have returned to the Play-In Tournament and have a good chance of securing 7th place on Tuesday.
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That said, the Lakers organization seems satisfied with its current roster, with the hope of keeping it for next season. With that in mind, Los Angeles may abandon its pursuit of Kyrie Irving this summer. When Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic joined forces, the NBA world expected the Dallas Mavericks to rule the Western Conference. However, the opposite happened and the Mavericks were eliminated from the playoffs. Many fans were dissatisfied and are now wondering what will happen to the Dallas team next.
While it’s possible that Irving will leave Dallas in the offseason, it could be that Mark Cuban has other intentions. Cuban said he wants to re-sign the big guard to help Doncic. The Mavericks owner assured the team’s fans that he wouldn’t make the same mistakes with the team again and that he would make better use of Kyrie and Luka.
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Irving played for the Duke Blue Devils in college before joining the Cavs in 2011. He was named MVP of the 2014 All-Star Game. In the 2016 NBA Finals, Irving hit the three-point basket to crown the Cavs’ epic victory over the Golden State Warriors.
Irving demanded a trade after another Finals appearance in 2017 and was transferred to the Boston Celtics. He was a Celtic for two seasons before signing as a free agent with the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. Irving demanded a trade after four seasons with the Nets and was transferred to the Dallas Mavericks in 2023. He also represented the United States national team, winning gold at the 2014 Basketball World Cup and also at the 2016 Olympics.
Irving has espoused various conspiracy theories throughout his career. He missed most of the 2021-2022 NBA season because he didn’t want to be vaccinated against COVID-19.