It appears that Tristan Thompson is still hopeful that Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James will eventually be reunited with Kyrie Irving.
Appearing on Draymond Green’s podcast, Thompson hinted that the dream of his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammates playing together again isn’t over yet. He is also salivating at the prospect of the reunion, calling it “a match made in heaven.”
"It was almost like a match made in heaven… it's not over yet"
—@RealTristan13 tells @Money23Green why he still wants to see the LeBron-Kyrie reunion pic.twitter.com/n8OwhbuV2H
— The Volume (@TheVolumeSports) March 25, 2023
“I’ve been pushing that reuniting, coming together for so long,” Thompson answered when asked by Green about the potential James-Irving tandem. “With Kyrie and LeBron, it was almost like a match made in heaven. They brought the best out of each other. … It’s not over yet. There’s still a couple more chapters between them two that they can make some magic happen.”
It is unclear if such a scenario will happen in Los Angeles. With the organization reportedly looking to run its current roster back in the 2023-24 campaign, there might be no place for Irving in its plans.
There are a few teams that could consider pursuing the eight-time All-Star. After all, he is still one of the league’s finest point guards, averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per contest this season.
The Lakers might have some reasons to look at bringing in Irving: his friendship with James and the fact that the duo won a championship together in Cleveland.
However, adding an unrestricted free agent of Irving’s caliber might require the Lakers to let go some of their players. Compromising depth to commit a huge sum to the former Rookie of the Year might not be in the best interest of the franchise.
Furthermore, new starting point guard D’Angelo Russell has done a great job in Los Angeles so far. In 11 appearances wearing the Purple and Gold this season, the 27-year-old has posted 18.6 points and 6.4 assists per match.
Russell has also proven to be efficient from the field, connecting on 47.1 percent of his shots. The former No. 2 overall pick made just 40.8 percent of his field-goal attempts in his first tenure in Los Angeles.
For those reasons, Thompson’s statements might remain a pipe dream. But if Los Angeles underperforms in the coming postseason, the front office could keep its options open to maximize James’ championship window.
Thompson recently worked out for the Lakers, even surprising James by showing he was in great shape. However, nothing has come out of it yet.
