"I don't care what they are saying publicly" - NBA insider says LA Lakers have not ruled out signing Kyrie Irving (Exclusive)

Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

Irving has been linked to the LA Lakers, especially after attending their games during the postseason. According to our own NBA insider, the Lakers have not ruled out signing Irving this summer.

A source told Sportskeeda that the Lakers' front office is still considering bringing Irving to team up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Despite all the things that happened in the last few years, Irving remains one of the most talented players in the league.

"I don't care what they are saying publicly," the source said. "Several people on the team and within the organization know and understand how talented Kyrie is. He makes the Lakers better."

Kyrie Irving spent the first part of the season with the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks before the deadline. He formed one of the best duos in the NBA with Luka Doncic. However, it was not enough to help the Mavericks make the playoffs.

Irving ended the season averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals in 60 games for Brooklyn and Dallas. He averaged 27.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.0 APG and 1.3 SPG in 20 games for the Mavericks.

The eight-time All-Star was not the main problem in Dallas. He played great with Doncic, but the team's overall defense was almost non-existent. The Mavericks definitely felt the loss of Dorian Finney-Smith, who was their best defender by a mile.

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Kyrie Irving trying to recruit LeBron James to Dallas Mavericks

LeBron James of the LA Lakers and Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks

Shams Charania of The Athletic first reported that Kyrie Irving reached out to LeBron James in an effort to try and recruit him to join the Dallas Mavericks. James' future is up in the air after hinting about retirement following the LA Lakers' exit in the playoffs.

While James' camp was quick to put out the rumors of him retiring, the comments he made might be a warning to the Lakers. "The King" was quickly linked to the Golden State Warriors after making those comments, with TNT's Chris Haynes revealing that the Mavericks tried to acquire James earlier this season.

"The Mavericks were preparing to make an offer for James last season when the Lakers were spiraling, sources say," Haynes wrote on Bleacher Report. "But the Lakers made a string of trades near the deadline that changed the trajectory of their season."

It's no secret that Kyrie Irving and LeBron James want to team up again despite the hurdles in making that happen. The duo won an NBA championship together in 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers toppled the mighty Golden State Warriors in seven games.