Contrary to popular belief, the Los Angeles Lakers were one of the many teams to make an offer for superstar point guard Kyrie Irving years ago. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, the pursuit was aggressive and the Lakers offered an impressive package of several key assets.
The Los Angeles Lakers were one of several teams to aggressively pursue Irving leading up to the trade deadline before the Brooklyn Nets ultimately sent him to Dallas in a package that included Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, an unprotected first-round pick in 2029, and two second-round picks.”
The Lakers’ offer centered on Russell Westbrook and two future first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, sources told ESPN.”
LeBron James, a four-time champion, actively campaigned for the Lakers to sign Kyrie Irving, even publicly expressing his desire to reunite with him. Unfortunately, the Nets were not interested in the trade package centered around Russell Westbrook, leading the Lakers to trade for D’Angelo Russell that season instead.
At the time, it made sense why the Lakers were hesitant to offer more but I think they should have made a better package. Instead of just Westbrook and picks, the Lakers could have offered Austin Reaves or Lonnie Walker IV to sweeten the deal. As two young guards with potential, they would have surely made better replacements for Irving than Westbrook and the Lakers made a mistake not dangling at least one of them in trade talks.
In the end, the Lakers didn’t have the guts to put too much on the table and they let themselves get outbid by a Mavericks team that is now four wins away from winning the championship. Since LeBron, 39, is likely to return next season, many within the franchise are feeling regret over letting their best chance for another championship pass them by.
Kyrie Irving Was Open To A Reunion
Uncle Drew, drafted by the Cavaliers in 2011, quickly became a star. By his second season, he was regarded as a top-five point guard, averaging 22.5 points, 5.9 assists, and 3.7 rebounds per game on 49.7% shooting.
Now a 12-year veteran, Irving was still with the Cavaliers when 20-time All-Star LeBron James returned in 2014. Initially content to play the role of lead sidekick, Irving grew unhappy a year after their 2016 championship win and made a dramatic exit.
Despite the ugly circumstances of their breakup, Kyrie is still open to a reunion with the King and he didn’t shy away from it when recently presented with the idea of joining together again.
“Everything was considered. He’s a great friend of mine, a great brother of mine,” said Irving. “We obviously played together [in Cleveland]. Everybody knows our history.”
The Lakers could have thrived with Kyrie and LeBron James running the show, especially considering where Irving is now as the Western Conference champion in the Finals. You have to give the Mavericks credit for coming up with the winning offer but it’s hard not to think how fun and dominant the Lakers could have been with the two superstars reunited like old times.
