Lakers News: LA Was Close To Making A Trade For Kyrie Irving

The Mavericks beat out other potential teams in landing a trade deal for the All-Star guard.

Two days after word leaked that Kyrie Irving had requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, the eight-time All-Star guard finally closed in on a deal with the Dallas Mavericks.

Although many Los Angeles Lakers fans hoped Irving would take his talents to Los Angeles, the Lakers’ front office was unable to seal the deal, as Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reveals.

The Nets-Mavericks talks accelerated on a trade today, sources said. The Lakers and Nets had several conversations on a potential deal, but Nets preferred Mavs' package -- getting back a point guard and wing to plug in now plus the future picks.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 5, 2023

Your Lakers were one of the top teams connected to Irving along with the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Clippers.

On Sunday, the Dallas Mavericks struck a deal to land Irving. In return, the Mavericks will send Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and multiple draft picks to New York.

Earlier this month, Irving was reportedly talking to the Nets about a contract extension. The 30-year-old is in the final year of a four-year, $136 million deal, and is eligible for a maximum four-year contract worth about $200 million this offseason as an unrestricted free agent. 

Irving and the team were ultimately unable to agree on a deal that satisfied both parties, which lead to his decision to find another team to land a long-term deal.

With the Nets, Irving was averaging 27.1 points, 5.3 assists, and 5.1 rebounds across 40 games. As the dominant player he is, he knows how to create offense on his own which can help take the load off of incumbent Mavericks All-Star guard Luka Doncic once he arrives in Dallas. 

With Irving and Doncic now teaming up, they have the ability to become a star duo in the Western Conference.