Kyrie Irving lures LeBron James
Is the Nowitzki-Klub sensationally building a super team?
06/06/2023, 11:11 am
Is there a big surprise brewing in the NBA? On Kyrie Irving’s influence, the Dallas Mavericks could form a new super team. And with megastar LeBron James and Luka Doncic. But how likely is the deal? One question seems “ridiculous at first glance”.
Dallas Mavericks star Kyrie Irving has reached out to his former teammate LeBron James. The goal: to lure the superstar of the Los Angeles Lakers to Dirk Nowitzki’s club. This is reported by the always well-informed magazines “The Athletic” and “Bleacher Report” with reference to anonymous sources from the NBA. With the Mavericks, Irving would like to build a so-called super team together with James and Luka Doncic in order to win the first championship since 2011 for Dallas, for which Nowitzki is currently active as a consultant.
It’s no secret that Irving and James are open to a reunion from their days with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where they played together from 2014-2017 and won the 2016 NBA title. James only made it clear in February before the trade deadline that he would like to play alongside his former teammate. The Lakers allegedly also tried the point guard at the time, but ultimately it was drawn to the Mavericks. Dallas arguably tried to make an offer to James before when the Lakers were in a downward spiral last season.
Is the mega trio coming with the three superstars? “The Athletic” and “Bleacher Report” consider the deal possible, but very unlikely because it is too complicated. Re-signing Irving, whose deal expires at the end of the month, is a top priority for Dallas. Therefore, the Mavericks will at least consider the scenario with James.
James, Irving and Doncic not even favorites for the title?
However, the new and very strict collective agreement of the NBA makes the change difficult: Having three players with a so-called maximum contract in a squad is therefore almost impossible. For Irving and James to team up with Doncic, the two would have to take a significant pay cut. However, the Texans do not have too many swap candidates, which makes the change even more unlikely. James, who still has a one-year contract with the Lakers for $46.9 million, could also push for a contract termination.
Regardless of whether James is acquired through a trade or as a free agent, Dallas would need to gut their roster to accommodate both him and Irving. The defense would continue to suffer as a result, which became one of the worst in the league after Irving switched to Dallas. Important three-point shooters would also have to leave the team. This leads “The Athletic” to a question “that at first glance seems ridiculous”: Would Irving, James and Doncic even be title favorites if they teamed up? The Mavs already had enormous offensive power last year, but they still missed the playoffs with Irving and Doncic.
James had recently hinted at a possible retirement, which surprised the NBA world. Fans and pundits alike were in a frenzy, but now it’s certain that the ‘King’ will return for a 21st season. The superstar brought in some new players with Los Angeles after a disastrous start to the season, but eventually made it into the playoffs’ conference finals and at times looked almost like a serious championship contender. It is quite possible that James wants to continue to expand the newly formed Lakers team instead of forming a new super team in Dallas. Los Angeles is said to be not interested in a commitment from Irving, who has repeatedly caused various types of trouble at his previous stations.