NBA insider Brian Windhorst revealed that LeBron James and Kyrie Irving both wanted to reunite on the same team.
The Los Angeles Lakers had the chance to sign Irving as a free agent last summer but decided to keep their core intact.
Windhorst’s comments follow James expressing mixed emotions about Irving advancing to the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks instead of being his running mate.
The Mavericks outmaneuvered the Lakers at the trade deadline last season, acquiring Irving from the Brooklyn Nets.
Following the 2022-23 season, Irving became a free agent but ultimately signed a new three-year deal with Dallas.
Windhorst detailed how James and Irving reconciled after a period of estrangement post-Irving’s departure from Cleveland.
James had actively wanted the Lakers to trade for Irving when he was available, including during the 2022-23 season.
“When Kyrie left Cleveland, they pretty much didn’t talk for years. They were at odds. At some point in the last few years they’ve made up to the point where LeBron actively wanted the Lakers to trade for Kyrie Irving when he was on the trade block a couple of different times like, 2022-23,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up.
The Lakers made an offer at the trade deadline, but the Mavericks’ offer was superior, including better players and more valuable picks.
“The Lakers made an offer at the trade deadline last year, Dallas’ offer was just better. They had better players to trade and potentially more valuable picks The Lakers were trying to protect them,” Windhorst continued.
Despite the Lakers’ interest, they chose to re-sign players from their Western Conference Finals team rather than create cap space to compete with Dallas.
“Then last summer Kyrie actively wanted LeBron to come to Dallas,” Windhorst said. “Bron wanted Kyrie to come to the Lakers. Now, LeBron coming to Dallas, he’s under contract, that’s not feasible… The Lakers actually could have created the cap space to beat the Mavericks offer last year but they elected not to. They elected to re-sign the players from the team that had just gotten to the Western Conference Finals.”
Windhorst suggested that the opportunities for James and Irving to play together again seem unlikely, though nothing is impossible in the NBA.
“So there’s a couple of near misses. I do not suspect that we’re going to see an opportunity for them to play again. But I would never say never in the NBA,” Windhorst said.
