Could notorious ex-teammate reunite with LeBron James on Lakers?

Jan 21, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James has won four championships spread out with three different franchises during his NBA career. He has many former teammates, and different relationships with all of them.

But there is one former teammate more notorious than them all: Kyrie Irving.

James and Irving were teammates for three seasons on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-2017. They reached the NBA Finals in each season together and won the championship in 2015-2016. Then Irving decided he no longer wanted to be teammates with James and forced a trade to Boston.

The two seemed to smooth things over in the time that passed since their breakup. Irving recognized the error of his ways.

Since they patched things up, there have been rumors of a possible reunion between the players on the Los Angeles Lakers. Those rumors are popping up once again.

Veteran NBA reporter Marc Stein has said that James and Irving have been in contact recently, possibly to talk about a reunion. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski has identified the Lakers as the “most significant threat” to land Irving.

The Los Angeles Lakers are considered the "most significant threat" for Kyrie Irving, per Woj on NBA Today#NBATwitter #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/aMM7BjwPig

— 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧' 𝐍𝐁𝐀 (@_Talkin_NBA) June 22, 2022

There is a big hurdle in Irving joining the Lakers, however. Irving has a player option for over $36 million. If he joined the Lakers, it would be for around $6 million. Losing $30 million would be a significant financial sacrifice for a guy who just sacrificed a huge amount of salary last season.

When it comes to Irving, you never know what he is thinking, and you can’t rule out anything.