Lakers: Why Dallas Trade Doesn’t Necessarily Mean LA Is Done Courting Kyrie Irving

The Mavericks All-Star could still be on the move this summer.

Right after he demanded to be traded away from the Brooklyn Nets, we at All Lakers began speculating wildly about whether or not All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving would land in Los Angeles.

Instead, Irving was shipped out to the Dallas Mavericks, where he has looked typically excellent thus far, averaging 28.3 points -- on .533/429/1.000 shooting splits -- seven assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

It was revealed last year that the Lakers were Irving's preferred destination, but apparently Nets owner Joe Tsai, understandably feeling a bit slighted, was reticent to send him there.

That doesn't mean, necessarily, that Irving's dalliance with your Lakers is quite over.

Marc Stein reports in a recent Substack piece that it at least appears Dallas doesn't intend to sign Irving to a contract extension in-season, which means he’ll be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Stein adds that, for now, it still seems like the Lakers would be his hoped-for landing spot.

The Lakers did pivot after missing out on Irving, and chose instead to trade for maximum-salaried Minnesota Timberwolves point guard D'Angelo Russell, in addition to four other solid role players (shooting guards Malik Beasley and Davon Reed, power forward Jarred Vanderbilt, and center Mo Bamba). Now, LA is apparently contemplating inking Russell to a contract extension. 

Russell has made one All-Star appearance, but will probably not be in line for maximum money this summer, so an extension with him would probably be cheaper than an Irving deal. And, of course, less of an off-court headache.

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