Kevin Durant just requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. But Kyrie Irving beat him to it, and likely triggered it in the first place. Western Conference teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers were rumored as potential destinations. But there was supposedly one Eastern Conference rival willing to take on the mercurial point guard – the Philadelphia 76ers.

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith dropped a juicy tidbit on Kyrie Irving as he appeared on NBA Today to discuss the Kevin Durant bombshell that had just dropped. There he revealed that the Sixers were said to have tried and failed to get Irving on board.

Via NBC Sports Philadelphia:

“Kyrie Irving misses most of the season, only plays 29 games, expects a four-year deal to be waiting for him, a four-year extension where the salary is in excess for $248 million. That doesn't happen. He's insulted, he's looking for other teams, throws out a whole bunch of smoke and mirrors.

“Even had the Philadelphia 76ers on the phone, willing to give him a 3-year deal, guarantee him a 3-year deal, but there was no way in hell he was interested in going to Philadelphia and rejoining James Harden or anything like that, so that was a smokescreen.”

To be linked to the Sixers is one thing. For Kyrie Irving to have reportedly gotten an actual offer – for three years at that – would mean that talks got quite serious in terms of their negotiations with the Nets guard.

But with some lingering animosity between Irving and former Nets teammate James Harden, the roadblocks to make it happen proved to be too insurmountable.