There have been several instances over the last year or so where the Los Angeles Lakers have tried to complete a trade with the Brooklyn Nets involving Kyrie Irving. But even after repetitive tries, the Nets’ counteroffer has always seemed a bit too much for the Lakers.
This was once again the case after Kyrie Irving requested a trade. The Lakers presented a decent trade package to the Nets for Kyrie, but Brooklyn countered and asked for a huge offer. Obviously, the Purple and Gold stepped away from the deal that led to Irving getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks.
Los Angeles Lakers Were Worried About Kyrie Irving’s Professionalism
Even though the Los Angeles Lakers were trying their best to complete a trade for Irving, the organization was still aware of the former NBA champion’s unpredictable nature. This has been a major concern around Irving over the course of his career, and it has been highlighted more than ever in the last couple of seasons.
With that being said, Kyle Goon of ‘The Orange County Register’ recently wrote an article stating the Lakers were worried about Irving’s behavior, professionalism, and availability.
“Meanwhile, a cryptic tweet from James seemed to anticipate the arrival of Irving – a player whose All-NBA talent has often been outweighed by his penchant for on-court controversy. While one person with knowledge of the team’s interest in Irving told Southern California News Group that high-level team officials had serious concerns about his professionalism and availability – especially considering that the Lakers would have had to at least consider extending him on max or near-max money beyond this season – according to Bleacher Report, the team was willing to part with both their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks to get the deal done. It fell apart, according to a report from The Athletic, because the Nets wouldn’t stop there, also desiring two of the team’s talented young players in Austin Reaves and Max Christie.”
Irving’s erratic nature is something that held back several teams from even trying to trade for the 30-year-old. Among the four reported teams that the Nets received an offer from for Irving, the Dallas Mavericks got the deal. Whether they will be able to handle Kyrie’s unpredictable nature or not will be revealed in the coming months.
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