What could Mavericks get in a potential Kyrie Irving sign-and-trade with the Lakers?

The Kyrie Irving to the Lakers rumors started flying once again after the star point guard was spotted in Los Angeles on Friday night. He was supporting his former teammate LeBron James and the Lakers in their Game 6 win over the Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena to clinch their first-round playoff series.

Re-signing Irving is the Mavericks' biggest priority this summer, but could the Lakers pry the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent away from Dallas?

The eight-time All-Star played four seasons with James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and they won a championship together in 2016. If the Lakers don't win the title this year, they could be looking to make some major changes to their roster, and bringing in Irving could be one of them.

What could Dallas Mavericks get in a potential Kyrie Irving sign-and-trade with the Los Angeles Lakers?

The worst-case scenario for the Mavericks this summer is losing Irving for nothing. They lost Jalen Brunson for nothing last summer, and they can't make that same mistake again. If Irving wants to sign elsewhere, the best bet for both sides is to orchestrate a sign-and-trade.

The Mavs would acquire assets, while the 6’2 point gets to play where he pleases on a larger contract than his desired team can offer him.

The Lakers are rumored to be the team most likely to steal Kyrie Irving away from the Mavericks, so here is a look at three different potential sign-and-trades between the two sides if he desires to go to Los Angeles.

3. Mavericks land superstar big

The first sign-and-trade scenario is the most simple of the three.

**Sign-and-trade: Kyrie Irving agrees to four years, $210 million contract

LeBron James would finally play with Irving again while the Mavericks land their first elite front-court player since Dirk Nowitzki retired.

This trade only works if the Lakers aren't confident in Anthony Davis' ability to stay healthy or if he wants out. Which could be a possibility.

About three months ago, LeBron James made history when he moved to number one on the NBA's all-time scoring list passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The entire Lakers team was standing up in support of their teammate breaking the record except for Davis.

He was sitting down and didn't seem happy for the teammate that help him win the 2020 NBA Championship. Davis later came out and said that he wasn't standing up because he was frustrated about the game, but it is still an interesting situation.

Is losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder a bigger deal than supporting your teammate as he makes history? No one will ever truly know if that was the real reason he was sitting down, but the Lakers may want to move on from Davis depending on how their season turns out.

The Lakers would gain a superstar point guard to play alongside James through the end of his contract, while the Mavericks get a cornerstone of the franchise to anchor their defense.

2. Mavericks land young star, shed cap

This scenario would land the Mavericks immediate young talent while shedding some cap space for next summer.

** Double sign-and-trade: Kyrie Irving agrees to a four-year, $210 million contract, Austin Reaves inks a four-year, $80 million contract, and Dennis Schroder agrees to a three-year, $24 million contract

This trade is more likely and gives the Mavs depth while shedding an awful contract.

Last summer, the Mavericks signed JaVale McGee thinking he would bolster their frontcourt and solve their problem at center. He was promised a starting spot by head coach Jason Kidd before the season, and the organization thought they signed a solid big that would fill a gaping hole.

They were wrong. McGee started just seven games last season and played 8.5 minutes per game. He was even unplayable at times.

This trade sheds the final two years of McGee's contract while landing the Mavericks a budding young star. Since March 1, Austin Reaves is averaging 17.7 points and 5.5 assists while shooting 40 percent from three and 85 percent from the free-throw line. He's also just 24 years old.

Along with Reaves, the Mavericks would acquire Malik Beasley, Mo Bamba, and Dennis Schroder.

Bamba played just 11 total minutes in the Lakers' six first-round playoff games against the Grizzlies, and LA would likely want to get his expiring contracts off the books. The Lakers won't want to re-sign him after next season, and Dallas could take him off their hands. He is an upgrade over McGee at center and could provide some defensive help in the frontcourt.

Schroder would be the secondary ball handler off the bench that Dallas needs and would be an upgrade over Frank Ntilikina and McKinley Wright IV.

Beasley is another player that has slowly fallen out of the Lakers' rotation in the playoffs. He is playing 10.8 minutes per game and averaging 4.2 points per game. The Lakers will likely decline his team option anyways this summer but in this scenario, they could accept it and send him to Dallas.

1. Mavericks land wing defender and floor general

The Lakers will be hesitant to move on from Austin Reaves, so this deal lets them keep the 24-year-old after a breakout season, while Dallas sheds a bad contract and gains a lockdown defender.

Mavericks get: D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley (Lakers accept team option), Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba

Lakers receive: Kyrie Irving, Davis Bertans

**Double sign-and-trade: Kyrie Irving agrees to a four-year, $210 million contract and D'Angelo Russell inks a three-year, $65 million deal

The Mavericks' biggest issue was defense last season. They couldn't guard anyone and didn't have a lockdown wing defender after they traded Dorian Finney-Smith. This trade lands them an excellent defender while gaining a guard to play alongside Luka Doncic.

As mentioned before, Malik Beasley and Mo Bamba are practically throw-ins for the Lakers. Neither player is being utilized in the playoffs, but they could both carve out roles in Dallas. They would both likely be playing over 15 minutes per game on the Mavericks as help boost their values in the final years of their respective contracts.

This trade would get Davis Bertans' contract on the Mavericks books. It is one of the most brutal deals in the NBA, and it limits Dallas from making significant moves. The Mavs can look for a third piece to pair with Doncic and D'Angelo Russell if Bertans is shipped elsewhere.

Russell would be the secondary ball handler next to Doncic that could fit similarly to the way that Jalen Brunson did. He could take over when he needed to and be a great facilitator. Russell also understands how to play with a ball-dominant player like LeBron James, so it wouldn't be too big of a change playing next to Luka.

Stay tuned to see if Kyrie Irving will return to Dallas or if he'll be playing elsewhere next season. If the eight-time All-Star doesn't want to come back, Dallas can't let him leave for nothing. They have to pursue a sign-and-trade to lessen the blow, and these three scenarios are potential ways Dallas can make that happen.