Kyrie Irving-Lakers trade rumors take unexpected turn with latest report

One day, the rumors flying around point to Kyrie Irving attempting to lure LeBron James to the Dallas Mavericks. The next, it is literally the opposite, but that's all just in the fun of free agency. 

While Irving is a free agent this offseason, James is still under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, which has fueled the rumors of a potential Irving-to-L.A. move.

But in another twist tossed in with all this offseason drama, it appears Irving has essentially never wavered from his interest in re-signing with the Dallas Mavericks. As Marc Stein reported on his substack, The Stein Line, Irving wants to "shut down the notion" that he's angling to get to the Lakers.

Yet two sources close to the process insisted Monday that Irving has consistently expressed a desire to remain a Maverick and actually wants to shut down the notion that he’s angling to get to L.A.“ He wants to stay,” said one source.

This is a far cry from TNT/Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reporting that Irving desired the Mavericks to explore acquiring James to form a Big 3 with Luka Doncic just one day ago.One thing that seems to be closer and closer to a near-certainty is the fact that the idea of LeBron and Kyrie teaming up in the immediate future is very unlikely. Going even one step further than that, if the two players remain with their current franchises and Irving signs a long-term deal, it's likely they'll never play together again in the NBA.At this point, the conversation for the Lakers is primed and ready to shift to free agency, who the team will re-sign, any potential other trades and the 2023 NBA Draft. As for the Mavericks, a potential offseason trade to acquire a big name seems to be on the table, and their first-round pick this year will likely be on the move if that is the case.