LeBron James 'definitely disappointed' Lakers didn't trade for Kyrie Irving
It's no secret LeBron James and Kyrie Irving wanted to team up together again — this time for the Los Angeles Lakers. Rumors swirled all offseason when Irving remained reportedly undecided about returning to the Nets before he exercised his player option and throughout the Kevin Durant summer trade speculation.
So when the Nets traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, it was only a matter of time before James expressed his thoughts. And no, we're not talking about the cryptic "Maybe It's Me" tweet. James spoke with ESPN's Mike Wilbon on Monday, where he explained his feelings about missing out on Irving and how he had to reshift his focus back on the season rather than reuniting with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate.
"Well definitely disappointing," James said. "I can’t sit here and say I’m not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent but someone that I had great chemistry with — and know I got great chemistry with on the floor — that can help you win championships, in my mind, in my eyes."
LeBron sat down with @RealMikeWilbon to share his thoughts on the Lakers not being able to trade for his former teammate Kyrie Irving:
"I can’t sit here and say I’m not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent." pic.twitter.com/2smRTk3Y0c— ESPN (@espn) February 6, 2023
There were a couple of big offers for Irving just days after he demanded a trade this past Friday, including from the Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Phoenix Suns. The Lakers' offer, according to SNY's Ian Begley, included guard Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick. Another report from Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes claimed the Lakers' offer included the team's 2027 and 2029 first-round picks.
In the end, though, Brooklyn took the Mavericks up on Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-round picks. While a solid offer in its own right, NBA insider Marc Stein reported that Nets team owner Joseph Tsai refused to trade Irving to the Lakers despite that team being one of Irving's preferred destinations.
Now, this doesn't preclude Irving from joining James and the Lakers in L.A. after this season is over. While he's eligible for a two-year extension now, ESPN's Tim MacMahon expects contract negotiations wouldn't start up again until this summer when he can be signed to a four-year deal. Whether he returns to Dallas or signs elsewhere remains to be seen though, but it sounds like James would welcome Irving on the Lakers.
