NBA Rumors: Kyrie Irving Pitched LeBron James on Lakers Reunion During 2023 Playoffs

Kyrie Irving and LeBron James haven't been teammates since the end of the 2016-17 season, but the two stars, either directly or indirectly, continue to circle around each other.

Per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Irving had a "had a strong interest in reuniting with James" as a free agent last offseason to the point that he had courtside seats to Game 6 of the Lakers' playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena to try pitching the four-time MVP on the idea.

"James was open to the idea, sources said," Shelburne wrote, "but careful not to do anything that would be seen as a push while the organization was still trying to extricate itself from the ill-fated experiment with Russell Westbrook."

Shelburne noted Irving was also sitting courtside for Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, but by that point the Lakers' "choice to pursue Irving was moot" because the Dallas Mavericks were determined to keep him as a partner with Luka Dončić.

Ironically, the Lakers' success in the playoffs put them in the current predicament they find themselves in.

According to Shelburne, Los Angeles wanted to prioritize continuity by retaining its own free agents and adding role players to fill out the roster.

Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves both signed new deals with the Lakers, while Gabe Vincent was acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat. Vincent has only played in five games this season due to a knee injury that required surgery.

Even if the Lakers wanted to make a strong run at Irving, it would have been difficult to pull off. They only would have been able to clear $36 million in cap space if they got rid of everyone except James and Anthony Davis.

A sign-and-trade would have required cooperation from the Mavs, who had every reason to make Irving a priority after trading Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and an unprotected 2029 first-round draft pick to the Brooklyn Nets to acquire him.

Irving signed a three-year, $120 million deal to remain with the Mavericks in free agency. The final season is a player option worth $42.96 million.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha predicted in November that the Irving-to-Los Angeles rumors would pop up again around the trade deadline, but only if the Mavs were struggling (starts at 21:33 mark).

The Mavs are currently the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference with a 24-17 record. Irving is in the midst of a hot streak with 37.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists in the past five games. Dončić has missed the last three games due to an ankle injury.

The Lakers are struggling to find consistency. They are 10th in the Western Conference standings with a 20-21 record. Irving's scoring prowess would have been a huge boost to an offense that ranks 19th in points per game and 23rd in rating.

Irving and the Mavericks will play James and the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.