LeBron James has been angling for a reunion with Kyrie Irving in Cleveland, according to ESPN’s Vincent Goodwill — but the Dallas Mavericks have zero interest in helping him make it happen, and Irving is reportedly content where he is.
Goodwill reported that league sources said James had been pushing for the Cavaliers to engineer a trade for his former teammate, the kind of move that would have rekindled the partnership that delivered Cleveland its only championship in 2016. The Mavericks, however, have shown “no interest” in engaging the Cavaliers in trade discussions, and Irving is “believed to be comfortable” in Dallas.
James is a free agent for the first time since 2018, and his decision has become the NBA’s summer-long cliffhanger. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James “isn’t waiting for another domino” to fall — meaning he’s not holding out for a team to acquire Irving or Anthony Davis before committing. Brian Windhorst, also of ESPN, put it more bluntly on The Hoop Collective podcast: “Nobody knows what LeBron’s doing. Not even people close to him know. He’s making up his own mind.”
James is believed to be focused on three destinations: the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Irving angle was always the longest shot of the bunch, and not just because Dallas dug in. Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor identified two problems with the premise: the Mavericks don’t want to trade Irving, and the Cavaliers are happy with James Harden, who declined his $42.3 million player option and is working toward a new multi-year deal with Cleveland.
Here’s where the numbers make the romance look even less viable. Irving carries a $39.5 million cap hit for 2026-27 on a three-year, $118.47 million contract. He missed the entire 2025-26 season after tearing his ACL in March 2025. He turns 34 next season. One hypothetical framework — a multi-team deal involving Houston, Brooklyn, Dallas, and Cleveland — would require the Cavaliers to move Harden and Max Strus while sending multiple first-round picks to Dallas, all for a guard who hasn’t played in over a year. That’s not a trade. That’s a fever dream with a salary cap.
Dallas, meanwhile, has its own vision. New head coach Dusty May compared watching an Irving workout to “watching Picasso paint a picture.” Team president Masai Ujiri has been vocal about wanting to see Irving play alongside Cooper Flagg, the first overall pick who represents the franchise’s next window. The Mavericks aren’t in win-now mode the way they were when Irving last suited up, but they view his shot creation and playmaking as essential to easing Flagg’s transition — and to fixing an offense that cratered without him.
The Smoking Cuban, a Mavericks-focused outlet, noted that Dallas owes it to its fans to at least let them see an Irving-Flagg pairing before entertaining any trade conversations. The organization’s excitement is genuine, not posturing.
James and Irving played three seasons together in Cleveland from 2014 to 2017, reaching the Finals each year. Irving requested the trade that ended their partnership, but both players have spoken openly since about playing together again. In the summer of 2023, Irving reportedly reached out to James to gauge his interest in joining him in Dallas. The interest has been mutual. The timing never has been.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson reported that Irving wouldn’t rule out a Cavaliers return at some point, naming Harden and Strus as pieces that could eventually complete a deal with Dallas. That’s a door cracked, not opened. For now, the Mavericks hold the keys, and they’re not handing them over to satisfy a free-agent wish list they didn’t make.
James will sign somewhere. Irving will suit up in Dallas. The reunion that everyone keeps drawing up on a napkin will stay on the napkin — at least until the trade deadline, when the NBA’s rumor machine cranks back up and we do this all over again.
