Kyrie Irving reached out to LeBron James to see if Lakers star would leave LA, report says
Kyrie Irving greets LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers as he attends a basketball game between Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies Round 1 Game 6 of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES - The off-season chatter continues surrounding LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.
After the Lakers were swept by the eventual Western Conference champs Denver Nuggets, James issued a cryptic comment about possibly considering retirement.
"We'll see what happens going forward," James said on May 23. "I got a lot to think about, to be honest."
Since leaving that cryptic comment, speculation has risen on where "King James" will take his talents next season.
LeBron: 'A lot to think about' for NBA future
Moments after the Lakers were knocked out of the Western Conference Finals, LeBron James left a very cryptic comment regarding his NBA future.
Now, fellow NBA star Kyrie Irving has reportedly entered the picture in the apparent LeBron sweepstakes. According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Irving reached out to James to see if the 38-year-old would be interested in joining him and Luka Doncic in Dallas.
It is worth noting that Irving is a free agent this offseason while James remains under contract with the Lakers for the 2023-2024 season, on top of a player option for the 2024-2025 season.
While the Lakers fell short of making the NBA Finals this season, James ended the 2022-2023 campaign on a historic note. In February, James passed fellow Laker legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become NBA's all-time leading scorer. He was named the league's all-star for the 19th time in his already-storied career and made the cut for All-NBA Third Team.