Mere days after news broke of his trade demands, Kyrie Irving has been shipped to the Dallas Mavericks, triggering the most significant seismic shift in the NBA trade deadline so far. Luka Doncic finally has help, the Mavs look like a contender, and Kevin Durant will likely hand in his own trade demand for the second time.
Such a shift merits a tsunami of memes, armchair analysis, and reactions, including from one LeBron James. The King, expected to break the NBA’s all-time scoring record in his next few games, tweeted “Maybe It’s Me,” sounding like a broken suitor after losing out on the love of his life.
To recap, the Lakers are 13th in the West and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second straight year. At 38 years old, LeBron, as magnificent as he has been, can no longer will a team of scrubs to the Finals – nor should he be expected to. But between Anthony Davis’ injuries and shoddy roster building overall, it’s the unrealistic task that’s on the table.
Any questions about whether Kyrie can improve the Lakers' chances of contention should be met with a resounding “duh,” as explained by the four-time champion. Off-court controversies aside, Kyrie is an All-Star caliber player who also delivers in the clutch, averaging 27, 5, and 5 for the season.
Much has been surmised about a potential LeBron-Kyrie reunion in exchange for Russell Westbrook and a couple of first-round picks, but the trade obviously never came to fruition. Sadly, LeBron and Lakers fans will have to settle for jokes on “The One That Got Away.”
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