A report indicating that Kyrie Irving is recruiting LeBron James to join him with the Dallas Mavericks has led to some speculation that it could be a ploy to actually get himself to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Due to the implausibility of James joining the Mavericks, it was posited in some corners that Irving could be seeking a series of machinations that get him to the Lakers.

But two sources close to the process insisted to Marc Stein of Substack on Monday that Irving has "consistently expressed a desire to remain a Maverick and actually wants to shut down the notion that he's angling to get to L.A."

“He wants to stay,” said one source.

For their part, the Mavericks have not wavered from their wish to re-sign Irving in free agency.