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A lot of Los Angeles Lakers fans weren’t happy to hear about Kyrie Irving’s blockbuster trade to the Dallas Mavericks. When the enigmatic All-Star demanded a trade out of the Brooklyn Nets, some LA fans believed that there was a real path to the Lakers for Kyrie. As it turns out, this wasn’t going to be the case.
Apparently, the Lakers actually came close to bringing Irving to Hollywood. Before the Nets agreed to a deal with the Mavs, a three-team trade between the Lakers, the Nets, and the San Antonio Spurs was actually on the table already. NBA insider LJ Ellis provides the details of the botched deal:
“On the surface, a three-team trade involving the Spurs, Lakers and Nets makes sense. The Spurs are open to absorbing Westbrook’s contract for the right package of draft picks. The Lakers covet Irving and remain interested in Jakob Poeltl, Doug McDermott and Josh Richardson. The Nets could be moved by the luxury tax savings the Spurs can provide and are interested in Zach Collins and Richardson.
“However, a source tells me that a disagreement regarding draft pick compensation is a major stumbling block for this particular trade. Both the Spurs and the Nets are asking the Lakers for two first round draft picks in any deal. The Lakers only have a total of two first rounders to trade — and a source tells me that it’s not even clear if the Lakers are willing to trade both picks in order to acquire Irving,” Ellis wrote.
It seems that the Lakers had a real interest in striking a deal for Kyrie Irving before the NBA trade deadline. However, they weren’t willing to give up both of their future first-round picks in exchange for the eight-time All-Star. This speaks volumes of their actual desire to add Irving to their squad — or perhaps the lack thereof.
This wasn’t the case for the Mavs, though. They went all-in on Kyrie, giving up a major haul to provide Luka Doncic with the help he so desperately needs. Whether or not this will work out for them, however, remains to be seen.