Duke basketball: Nets owner refuses to trade Kyrie Irving to Lakers

Former Duke basketball guard Kyrie Irving was finally traded on Sunday afternoon. 

The first Sunday since September without the National Football League was nothing short of explosive in the basketball community as the biggest surprise of the day saw former Duke basketball guard Kyrie Irving traded.

Despite the news, it was not the explicit trade that was the most surprising.

Irving officially requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets (32-20) on Friday afternoon, six days before the NBA Trading Deadline, after the franchise made it clear it would not meet his needs on a maximum contract extension.

The former Blue Devil got his wish as he was shipped off to the Dallas Mavericks (28-26) in exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2027 second-round pick, 2029 unprotected first-round pick, and 2029 second round-pick.

Kyrie Irving is averaging 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game and will become an unrestricted free agent at the conclusion of the season.

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Irving was held out of Brooklyn’s matchup with the Washington Wizards on Saturday, February 4, one day after the trade request, due to “right calf soreness”.

Duke basketball star denied of preferred destination

Reports surfaced that the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers were also interested in trading for the disgruntled All-Star and, since nearly being traded in the offseason, Irving had been eyeing a reunion with former teammate LeBron James on the Lakers.

However, Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai had no interest in trading Kyrie Irving to his preferred destination, according to multiple reports.

Irving initially requested a trade away from James and the Cleveland Cavaliers following its NBA Championship in 2016 because the point guard did not want to play in the shadow of arguably the greatest player of all time.

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The former Blue Devil landed with the Celtics, where he told season ticket holders he would resign with the franchise, only to join the Brooklyn Nets the following offseason and put the organization through torture during his three and a half years with his favorite childhood team.

Now, Kyrie Irving has a legitimate shot to win his second NBA Championship alongside Luka Doncic in a Western Conference in which no team has seized control.

Irving is scheduled to arrive in Dallas on Monday morning and make his debut with his fourth franchise on Wednesday, February 8 (10:00p.m. EST, ESPN) against the Clippers (30-26) in Los Angeles.