Lakers miss another chance to trade for Kyrie Irving. So now what?

The Lakers came up short in their pursuit of Kyrie Irving, as the Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA world by acquiring the eight-time All-Star from the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, as first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The Lakers were viewed as the frontrunners for Irving as recently as Saturday. They offered Brooklyn a package of Russell Westbrook and their unprotected 2027 and 2029 first-round picks, according to multiple league sources who were granted anonymity to speak freely on the subject. The Nets didn’t have interest in taking back Westbrook, so the teams tried to find a third team to help facilitate the deal, according to those sources. But they couldn’t come to an agreement before the Mavericks emerged on Sunday morning and eventually closed the deal with Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2029 first-round pick and multiple second-round picks.

Ultimately, there were three main sticking points in the trade talks between the Lakers and the Nets.

First, and most important for the Lakers, was the matter of Irving’s contract extension. As reported by the Los Angeles Times and The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Lakers were seeking to sign Irving to a two-year, $80-plus million extension upon acquiring him, the most they could offer before June 30. That would have tied Irving’s tenure to LeBron James, who is under contract through the 2024-25 season (with a player option for the final year). Irving, however, preferred to enter 2023 free agency, with the goal of signing a four-year deal for about $198 million after June 30. The uncertainty regarding Irving’s future in Los Angeles beyond this season stopped the Lakers from increasing their offer.

Second, the Lakers were not willing to include Austin Reaves and/or rookie Max Christie in the deal if Irving was not going to agree to the two-year contract extension, according to league sources. The Lakers view both players as key members of their young supporting cast, not merely throw-ins. They were only considering including one of them if they had assurances Irving wouldn’t just be a second-half rental.

Third, the Nets valued players that could help them remain competitive around Kevin Durant over draft picks that wouldn’t materialize until the second half of the decade. A large reason the Nets ultimately chose Dallas’ offer for Irving — and also considered an offer from the LA Clippers — was because it was centered around players who better complemented the Nets’ current roster. With the Nets showing little interest in Westbrook, the Lakers couldn’t compete with the Mavericks, Clippers or even the Phoenix Suns on the win-now front.

That’s before even considering a potential objective from Nets owner Joe Tsai to send Irving to any team but the Lakers, as Substack’s Marc Stein reported Sunday, which would have inherently undermined all negotiations in the first place.

The question now, of course, is what happens next for the 13th-place Lakers?

The Lakers will remain active on the trade market, exploring deals both small and large. In the wake of the Irving-to-Dallas news, the two teams that have repeatedly popped up as Plan B options for the Lakers are the Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors, according to league sources. Both teams have been linked to the Lakers in recent weeks and have starter-level players who have been rumored to be available. However, talks remain preliminary and nothing is imminent. The Charlotte Hornets, San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls are three other teams to watch, according to those sources.

The most interesting wrinkle is the fallout with James, who has made clear his desire for roster upgrades. From his initial cryptic emoji tweet shortly after Irving’s trade request, to calling a potential deal for Irving a “duh” trade after L.A.’s loss to New Orleans Saturday, to his “Maybe it’s me” tweet after Irving was traded to the Mavericks Sunday, James did everything he could without explicitly demanding the Lakers trade for his former championship running mate.

Maybe It’s Me

— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 6, 2023

This is the second time in eight months the Lakers weren’t able to land Irving after James pushed for him both times — even if the outcome wasn’t technically in their control in either scenario.

Will that have a lasting impact on James’ relationship with the organization? At this point, it’s too early to tell. But it appears the only way to appease him, at least in the short term, is to substantially upgrade the roster before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

It’s unclear if there’s another deal available that the Lakers believe will merit the inclusion of those two unprotected first-round picks. Less than two weeks ago, vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said the Lakers would only include those draft picks in a “move that puts us as a front-runner to get another championship here.”

Do potential additions like Zach LaVine, Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr. or Malik Beasley move the needle enough to reach that threshold? The Lakers already decided that Indiana’s Myles Turner and Buddy Hield don’t — at least as of last October. Is there a disgruntled star who saw how quickly Irving got his way and will ask out before Thursday?

Those are the types of questions the Lakers will be weighing over the next few days. As the Irving saga showed, there is always an unforeseen option lurking around the corner. The Lakers could still rework their roster and put themselves in a much better position come mid-April.

But the best available player came and went, with the Lakers unable to land him once again. What happens now?

(Photo of Kyrie Irving, formerly of the Nets, and LeBron James of the Lakers: Jim McIsaac / Getty Images)