Lakers rumors: LeBron James working behind the scenes for Kyrie Irving reunion

The latest intriguing Lakers rumors have LeBron James talking to Nets star Kyrie Irving behind the scenes about a reunion in Los Angeles.

Could LeBron James and Kyrie Irving really hook back up with the Lakers?

That’s the talk around the internet right now as Irving’s contract dispute with the Nets continues.

Marc Stein reported on Wednesday that “there are credible rumblings in circulation that Irving, for starters, has indeed had some recent contact with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, his former Cleveland teammate, to presumably discuss a potential reunion in Hollywood.”

Could LeBron James bring Kyrie Irving to the Lakers?

Of course, in almost the same breath Stein mentioned the contact between the former teammates, he also threw cold water on the entire reunion idea.

“I’m told it would be a stretch, though, to suggest that the Lakers are currently pursuing Irving,” Stein wrote.

Basically, Los Angeles doesn’t have the trade assets it would take to entice Brooklyn to trade nor do they have the room financially to bring Irving in on a respectable salary. He would have to forgo a lot of money in order to make it happen, opting out of his $36.9 million player option while accepting just $6.39 million from LA.

James may want to play with Irving again and Irving may want out of Brooklyn, it just isn’t a scenario anyone should be betting on. Irving may be an unpredictable figure but even he isn’t likely to give up that kind of money.

More likely, this is all a negotiating tactic meant to put pressure on the Nets to give him a better deal to stick around.

Irving will have to decide whether he’s opting into his player option with the Nets for next season by June 29. Otherwise, he’ll hit free agency and the open market.