LeBron James' Mavericks pipe dream was doomed from the start

This summer was pretty much the best-case scenario for the Dallas Mavericks. After losing Luka Doncic in one of the most ridiculous trades of all time, the Mavs were blessed in the draft lottery when they were gifted with Cooper Flagg, one of the most hyped prospects in recent NBA memory. Flagg has experience practicing with the big dogs during Team USA's gold medal run when he was 17. He's been NBA-ready even before his time at Duke.

The Mavs had some crazy rumors to deal with this summer as well, such as Jason Kidd being linked to the New York Knicks and LeBron James being linked to the Mavs in an effort for one final shot to win a championship. James going to the Mavs made sense in a way, with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving already being familiar faces for the 40-year-old star. One former NBA champion made the case that Irving didn't see James as a big brother, and actually looked up to the late Kobe Bryant more than anyone else.

Kendrick Perkins had two brief stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers and got to witness firsthand how Irving and James operated together. Of course, things have changed from nine years ago, and it feels like Irving and James are respectful to each other now, but on the basketball court, there's a reason why Irving wanted to drive his own boat, away from James. Perkins' case on the 'Road Trippin' podcast makes it clear that from an on-court relationship, James in Dallas wouldn't work.

Perkins' bombshell on James-Irving relationship is too rocky on the court

James pairing with Irving and Davis could mean the tide completely turning, with the Mavs turning into the team in the NBA to beat. While that's possible, it just wouldn't be worth it to trade for a 40-year-old James when this could be his last season. Any trade wouldn't even make sense, and it was already revealed that Dallas would only want James if he was bought out.

Perkins making the case that Irving looking up to Bryant more than James shows that any kind of on-court relationship is too rocky to rekindle, and while both star players respect each other, it's much different when you put on the same uniform.

"He idolized and looked up to Kob so much that he actually wouldn’t give Bron a chance to be that big brother figure,” Perkins said. “Even when y’all won it, I wasn’t there, but I’m just keeping it real. Kyrie never really looked at Bron as that big brother. Kob was that big brother to Kyrie."

When Irving left Cleveland, he was in his mid-20s, and while things change, Perkins revealing this shows that the situation was potentially too damaged for any kind of reunion to happen. Even though Bryant will forever be immortalized and respected in NBA lore, Irving being the co-star to James and not giving him enough credit during his Cavaliers tenure means that this pipe dream wasn't ever real.

The Mavs have the pieces for James to be set already. Trading the assets the Mavs have now for a 40-year-old James wouldn't make sense, and it would end up being almost as pointless as the Doncic trade.