The Dallas Mavericks are in the NBA Finals, and Kyrie Irving’s play is a big reason why. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended after a first-round playoff exit.
Now, basketball fans can’t help but wonder how differently the Lakers’ season could have gone if only they’d landed Irving via trade instead of Dallas ahead of the 2022-23 NBA trade deadline. And it’s not like the Lakers didn’t try. Even LeBron James publicly campaigned for a chance to reunite with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, only this time in LA.
Yet, as we know, the Lakers weren’t able to convince Brooklyn to bite, so Irving landed in Dallas instead. But until now, we never knew what Los Angeles offered to trade for Irving. Thanks to NBA insider Dave McMenamin, we now know how much the Lakers were willing to give up for the eight-time All-Star.
According to McMenamin, the Lakers offered Russell Westbrook and two first-round picks in exchange for Irving. The Mavericks completed the deal by offering Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick, and two second-rounders.
It’s notable that the Nets preferred the player package over getting an extra first-round pick from the Lakers, but we don’t know how heavily protected those picks were. Either way, it doesn’t matter what the Lakers offered, as it wasn’t enough.
Yet, if Irving and Luka Doncic lead the Mavericks to their second-ever NBA Championship, it will be hard not to look back and wonder how this season could have gone differently, not just for the Lakers but for the rest of the league, too.
Related: Los Angeles Lakers trade targets revealed by NBA insider