Speaking to the media ahead of a potential series-clinching game on Friday, Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving opened up on nearly reuniting with LeBron James last season. While Irving admits that it was a real possibility, he explained that the situation was ultimately out of his hands.
“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. But there were so many different factors in between. When it comes to business decisions, you have to ask the GMs, the presidents why certain things didn’t work out.”
Before the Mavericks landed Irving in February of last year, the Lakers considered making an offer for him based on the few assets they had left. LeBron James publicly advocated for the team to sign Irving, and he firmly believed that the Lakers had a better chance with his former championship teammate running the show at point guard. But whether the Lakers made an offer or not, they never came close to actually securing a deal, and the Mavericks walked away as the ultimate winners of the Kyrie sweepstakes.
LeBron and Kyrie found great success as teammates together. In Cleveland, they made three straight Finals appearances and won the NBA Finals in one of the greatest comebacks in NBA playoff history. They led the Cavaliers in their best era to date until Kyrie suddenly asked for a trade in the summer of 2016. LeBron would eventually leave as well, just one year later.
Today, Irving is thriving alongside Luka Doncic, and the pair is now just one win away from advancing to the next round of the NBA post-season. They have emerged as one of the best duos in the game, and Irving, in particular, has been a hero for the Mavericks in their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Meanwhile, the Lakers are still left wondering: what if they had signed Kyrie and had him instead of D’Angelo Russell in the backcourt?
The Los Angeles Lakers Made A Huge Mistake
At the time of the Irving trade, the Lakers could have made a pretty compelling offer to the Nets, who were seeking top-tier compensation for the collapse of their superteam. With an offer of something similar to D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves, and their last remaining draft capital, it might have been enough to compete with the Mavericks’ offer of Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie, and two draft picks.
But instead of getting serious about the Kyrie sweepstakes, the Lakers refused to take the risk, believing that the veteran guard was too much of a distraction for the team. After a history of stirring chaos with the Cavaliers, Celtics, and Nets, the Lakers (rightfully) feared that they would become Irving’s next victim.
What they didn’t expect was for Kyrie to put those troubles behind him. In truth, he’s been on his best behavior since joining the Mavericks, and his play, focus, and commitment have left the team with no regrets about letting go of Jalen Brunson.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, they can only watch now as Irving proves his worth on the court this post-season. But with plans to star hunting this summer, they are hoping to rectify their mistake and finally set things right for the sake of 39-year-old LeBron James.
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