Lakers 'Disinterested' in Kyrie Irving; Mavs 'Remain Optimistic' About Free Agency
There are many dominoes to fall in the coming months that will set the landscape for this NBA offseason, one of those being Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving. As Irving hits unrestricted free agency, the Mavs hope to bring back the superstar to pair with Luka Doncic for more than just the 20 games following the trade at this season's deadline.
On Monday, Tim Cato of The Athletic reported that despite Irving appearing courtside at Game 6 to witness former championship running mate LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers' series-clinching win vs. the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, the “Lakers are disinterested in pursuing him (Irving) in free agency” due to the success Los Angeles has seen with their revamped roster. Acquiring Irving would mean the Lakers having to break up their current group.
The Lakers showed interest in Irving at the trade deadline and looked to be the favorite to reunite Irving with James, but they opted to add multiple pieces opposed to a singular piece after Dallas' offer to Brooklyn trumped any package Los Angeles was willing to offer.
With the Lakers' reported disinterest, Cato added that the Mavericks “remain optimistic” about their chances to re-sign Irving this summer, which is the belief of other teams around the league as well.
We've all heard the 'optimistic' report from the Mavericks, but their track record isn't necessarily glowing. Dallas seemed confident in their ability to re-sign Jalen Brunson last summer before the New York Knicks swept them under the rug. And with Irving, he's the ultimate wildcard; you just never truly know what he might be thinking.
Looking at the current landscape around the league, there isn't a long list of suitors for Irving who can sign him outright in free agency, unless he opts for a bottom-feeding franchise. With that in mind, it should come down to Irving and the Mavs agreeing on a fair contract number.
Dallas knows what it must do this summer to rebound from such a disastrous postseason-less season, and that starts with re-signing Irving. And if the Mavericks are left with nothing for two consecutive offseason, the smoke around Luka Doncic’s potential departure down the road will continue to build.
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