NBA (DR) / Rawel Visual

For many years, rumors of Kyrie Irving’s arrival at the Lakers circulated without the operation taking place.

But at the dawn of the NBA Finals where the leader will seek to win his second ring, information has leaked concerning the failure of his recruitment in LA.

Today more than ever, the Lakers are thinking about the moves to make in order to improve the squad.

But if we are talking to date about discussions to obtain a third superstar alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis , you should know that Kyrie Irving has for a long time been in the sights of Californian leaders.

In fact, his arrival in the City of Angels was even expected in 2023.

As he prepares to play in the NBA Finals with the Mavericks, Uncle Drew could have found himself in a completely different situation when he had asked to be transferred from the Nets in 2022-23.

Talks had taken place with the Purple & Gold, but certain details obstructed this file. At least, that’s what Johan Buva, an insider in Los Angeles for The Athletic, recently told us .

Kyrie Irving’s aborted transfer to the Lakers

The Lakers wanted to sign him to a two-year extension, but Kyrie wanted to activate his option to become a free agent and seek a four-year contract.

The Lakers were a little hesitant and preferred a 2-year, $80 million extension.

Since Kyrie wasn’t willing to sign that extension, LA was a little hesitant about acquiring him and running the risk of him leaving if it didn’t work out.

They didn’t want to include Austin Reaves and Max Christie if Kyrie didn’t want to sign the extension.

If he had been willing to sign the extension, I think they would have been willing to part ways with one of the two.

But they refused to give up what they considered their two best young assets in terms of players at the time, for a guy who could leave next summer.

The Nets didn’t want to give up any other role players in the trade because they wanted to stay competitive with Kevin Durant as their centerpiece. Shortly after, Kevin Durant asked to be traded and the rest is history.

Looking rather towards the future, the Lakers did not want to sacrifice their promising players in order to afford the services of Kyrie Irving .

Perhaps they are biting their fingers, however, seeing that the man they wanted so much is going to play in the NBA Finals.

With the 2020 champions still looking for a third superstar and preferably on the backcourt, it would not be surprising if they returned to the charge this summer.

But it remains to be seen whether the Mavericks would agree to break up his duo with Luka Doncic, especially if they win the title.

With a few details, Kyrie Irving could have worn the Lakers jersey this season. However, these details were far too important for the Los Angeles franchise which preferred to bet on Austin Reaves and Max Christie, rather than accepting KAI’s complaints about his contract.