I love Kyrie Irving, but Joe Tsai is such a G for this.
When superstar two-guard Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, his top destination was reportedly the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Nets owner Joe Tsai had no interest in making that happen, according to a report from NBA insider Marc Stein.
“One of the presumed objectives” for Tsai when it came to trading Kyrie to another team was that it be to anybody but “his preferred destination” of the LeBron James’ Lakers Show, and that’s exactly what happened. As we all know now, Irving was moved to the Dallas Mavericks.
Kyrie wanting to reunite with LeBron on the Lakers is no surprise, considering he’s been pushing for that reunification for years now. And I’ve got to say, it’s absolutely beautiful that it didn’t work out. It’s made even better by an outright G move from Joe Tsai.
Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai held a “presumed objective” to trade Kyrie Irving “somewhere other than the Lakers… his preferred destination.”
Wow.
(via @TheSteinLine, https://t.co/qhmFngWJgO) pic.twitter.com/4KOE1V7aCJ
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 6, 2023
When I got the breaking news notification on my phone, there were a few ways that I took it. My first reaction was disappointment and irritation knowing that the Miami Heat didn’t land him. After about 15 minutes or so of stewing on it and reading through Heat Twitter, I then started to think about the Los Angeles Lakers and how they didn’t get him either.
Though I got frustrated with Pat Riley & Co. for not landing Kyrie — and this is after several trade deadlines now of always being “interested” in star players and then never doing anything — the fact that Kyrie didn’t go to the Lakers definitely took some steam off of the situation.
I like to think Pat Riley and the @MiamiHEAT are working behind the scenes to try a trade for @KDTrey5 (which is why we didn’t get @KyrieIrving), but deep down, I know they dropped the ball. At least he didn’t go to the @Lakers though, this situation could’ve been much worse.
— Andrew Powell (@AndrewPowellDC) February 5, 2023
In a recent blog of mine, I wrote about how I had confidence that my Miami Heat were going to land Kevin Durant. But fast forward to Monday and I have zero confidence. I don’t even think the Heat are working at all to get KD; they just dropped the ball on Kyrie.
Heat Twitter was casting doubt a day before Kyrie was traded, and it happened:
The heat during every trade season pic.twitter.com/hm7ZbS564E
— J 🇯🇲🇻🇨 (@jayfrombklny) February 4, 2023
Heat always “trading” for players and nothing
— Richard J Aldeman (@RichardAldeman) February 4, 2023
its not like they will get anyone either lol.. every f**king time a player is available the Heat are always in there but never gets them.. it gets annoying at times to keep seeing articles about the Heat tryna trade for a player
— Supremo (@itzZSupremo) February 4, 2023
But, hey, at least Kyrie didn’t go to the Lakers. I just keep telling myself that. I’m not gonna bash my franchise too much, the same franchise who has been to two Eastern Conference Finals in the past three years, as well as an NBA Finals. There’s also the fact that Kyrie didn’t go to LA because of Joe Tsai outright saying no … it just makes this whole story even better.
There’s also that whole scenario with him and LeBron.
By the way, love how depressed that guy got after everything went down:
Maybe It’s Me
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 6, 2023
What’s up with the emo stuff, Bron?
Shout out to Dallas, man. Shout out to Mark Cuban. And shout out to Luka Doncic. The swag that the Mavericks have right now since landing Kyrie Irving is pretty spectacular and I’m personally excited to watch them. (RELATED: REPORT: Phoenix Suns Could Be Looking To Trade Chris Paul)
And shout out to Joe Tsai for being a G in this entire scenario.
(*whispers*) Let’s please get Kevin Durant, Miami. Please.