Western Conference Lakers Rival Tried To Trade For LeBron James Midseason

The All-Star almost didn't finish the year as a Laker!

Rumors have been swirling about the possibility of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving rejoining forces for the last few years. It almost happened last season but never came to fruition. Now with Irving heading into free agency, the notion has come back up. However, there has been a twist with the latest news.

According to Bleacher Report's NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Dallas Mavericks were preparing to make an offer for the Lakers star last season. Los Angeles ended up turning their season around but the idea that a team was even thinking about making an offer for James is interesting on so many levels.

What would that deal have looked like? Was this hypothetical trade on the table prior to being considered prior to Dallas' deal for Kyrie Irving, in which case it probably would have been a similar transaction (Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, an unprotected 2029 first round draft pick and two second rounders)?

Now, with the talk about James possibly retiring or even the slight possibility of him going to a different team for his 21st season, it gets even more intriguing. Irving has reached out to James to gauge his interest in possibly joining the Mavericks and forming a super-team with him and Luka Dončić. 

Sources: Kyrie Irving has reached out to Lakers star LeBron James in attempts to see if James would come to Dallas. Irving is a free agent this offseason.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 5, 2023

However, a few things remain unclear. Does James even want to leave Los Angeles? What do the Mavericks have to offer the Lakers in a potential trade? And is James even going to play next season? 

There is very little on the Mavericks roster that would entice the Lakers. If James wanted to go to Dallas, a third team may need to get involved

— Matthew Levine (@Levine1445) June 5, 2023

All these questions will be answered soon for your Los Angeles Lakers. But this news just throws more fuel to the fire about the two players desire to play together again. Will it be in Los Angeles? Dallas? Or maybe not at all. Only time will tell. 

This wild offseason just got even more fun. 

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