When virtuoso guard Kyrie Irving asked to be traded by the Brooklyn Nets, it seemed to open a path toward championship contention for the Los Angeles Lakers.
They had attempted to trade for Irving in the summer, and there have been rumors that Irving would like to join the Lakers, a move that would’ve reunited him with LeBron James.
But the Dallas Mavericks swooped in on Sunday and quickly put together a package of Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 unprotected first-round draft pick and two second-round picks that Brooklyn accepted.
Perhaps the Lakers cannot be blamed too much, as they made a real effort to land Irving.