76ers owe Mavericks a thank-you for ending LeBron James-Kyrie Irving reunion hopes

The LeBron James sweepstakes officially ended on Friday morning, as the four-time NBA champion signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. While the Dallas Mavericks were not in the hunt for LeBron, the 76ers owe the Mavericks a thank you for refusing to trade Kyrie Irving this offseason.

Trading Irving to a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers could've altered James' free agency considerably, and potentially changed where he signed.

LeBron James wanted to play with Kyrie Irving again

Recent rumors indicated that James wanted his next team to trade for Kyrie Irving with the hope that he could play with his former Cavaliers teammate one more time, and word on the street was that James wanted to reunite with Kyrie in Cleveland (before he ultimately signed with Philadelphia).

The Cavaliers were one of James' rumored suitors this summer, and "the belief around the league is that LeBron would (have) be(en) more likely to choose the Cavaliers if the front office could('ve) replace(d) Harden with Irving," per Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor.

Mavericks fans had a feeling Dallas wanted to keep Irving, and Kyrie seems to feel the same way about the Mavs, but LeBron making a strong recruiting pitch could've put pressure on Cleveland to make a big trade offer for Irving. The underlying tension around the league about where James would sign was undeniable.

Even if the Mavericks haven't seriously entertained any Irving offers this summer, the Cavs making a strong push could've made things interesting.

Trading Irving to Cleveland would've been a nightmare for Dallas

The Mavericks have stood firm on their stance that they don't want to trade Irving, and LeBron convincing the Cavaliers to trade for Irving (and the Mavericks agreeing to do so) would've been an absolute disaster for Dallas. The Mavericks would've been falling into a trap that doesn't benefit them very much.

Dallas would've been trading one of the most skilled guards of this generation for a player who doesn't align with their new Cooper Flagg timeline in James Harden, and that's the last thing they need right now.

The only reason the Mavericks should consider trading Irving is if it benefits their future outlook significantly, and Harden would do the exact opposite. He is the definition of a win-now player, and even though he has transformed his image in terms of his effect on winning, Dallas doesn't need him.

It obviously takes two to tango, and the Mavs haven't shown any interest in trading Irving thus far this offseason, but giving in to the pressure to help facilitate a Cavaliers reunion for James and Irving would've been devastating.

Trading Irving to Cleveland as part of a sign-and-trade that brings Harden to Dallas would've made perfect sense for the Cavs, but none for Dallas. The Cavaliers would've acquired a point guard who already has incredible chemistry with James at the price of someone who would've been a questionable fit with LeBron.

It likely would've taken some draft capital as well to convince Dallas to even think about trading Irving to Cleveland, but Harden isn't someone they should want as they begin the Cooper Flagg era. Even if the Cavs rerouted Harden elsewhere, moving on from Irving would still be a questionable proposition. Irving's impact on next year's Mavericks team can't be underestimated.

Why Irving still makes sense for the Mavericks

Kyrie is exactly where he needs to be, and that's on the Mavericks. Dallas' offense needs a sense of stability after a disappointing 2025-26 season, and Irving will bring that and more. He hasn't even gotten a chance to play with Cooper Flagg yet after Irving missed all of last season with a torn ACL, and Dallas owes it to their fans to at least see what Flagg and Irving look like on the floor together.

Irving is poised to be an incredible fit in Dallas as they begin this new era, and trading him for a player who is over two and a half years older than him in Harden would've made little to no sense. It would've made LeBron happy, as he would've loved to team up with Uncle Drew again, but it wouldn't have been a good move for both sides.

The Mavericks are making the right move by holding onto Irving rather than shopping him on the trade market, as sending him to the Cavaliers to appease James' wish would've been an awful move. The trade package Dallas would've received would've obviously affected the optics of this potential deal significantly. But from the outside looking in, the Mavericks staying out of James' rumored wish to team up with Irving was the correct play.

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