Of all the executed deals during this year’s wild NBA trade deadline, moves for Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook felt long overdue for the Nets and Lakers. And, as fans continue to process the aftermath, those still wondering why the long-speculated blockbuster trade involving the two never materialized may be shocked to learn it was never a true possibility.
To some, a deal involving Irving, Westbrook and the Lakers’ coveted 2027 and 2029 first-round picks seemed like a realistic framework to make something happen. But, as NBA insider Marc Stein explained Friday, Brooklyn all but prevented a potential deal after demanding from L.A. an asking price for Irving more steep than any other club.
“Based on everything I was told, the Nets asked from the Lakers way more than they asked from any other team for Kyrie,” Stein said on his podcast, #thisleague UNCUT, with TNT insider Chris Haynes. “They didn’t just want the two firsts and Russ, they wanted [Austin] Reaves, [Max] Christie, Rui [Hachimura] in a separate deal. They wanted everything the Lakers had.”
Stein’s remarks fall in line with a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania hours after the Nets dealt Irving to the Mavericks on Sunday. In addition to Westbrook and the two firsts, which the Lakers reportedly offered, Brooklyn wanted guards Austin Reaves and rookie Max Christie, as well as pick swaps. Charania’s report did not mention the inclusion of forward Rui Hachimura, whom L.A. traded for on Jan. 23, in talks.
Of course, in actuality, the talks eventually broke down as Westbrook was moved elsewhere and Irving was acquired by the Mavericks and not the Lakers, his heavily rumored preferred landing spot.
Dallas ultimately landed Irving in a trade for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and two second-rounders in ’27 and ’29. Meanwhile, Westbrook was shipped to the Jazz in a multi-team deal that brought Timberwolves guards D’Angelo Russell and Malik Beasley, and forward Jarred Vanderbilt to L.A.
