LeBron James Says He's 'Definitely Disappointed' the Lakers Didn't Trade for Kyrie Irving
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LeBron James is disappointed that Kyrie Irving won't be a Los Angeles Laker this season.
In an interview with ESPN, James, 38, said he's "definitely disappointed" that the Dallas Mavericks reportedly landed Irving, 30, in a trade with the Brooklyn Nets over the Lakers
James, who won the 2016 NBA championship alongside Irving in Cleveland, said, "I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent."
The Lakers star continued to describe his former teammate as someone he "had great chemistry with" while the two were Cavaliers. He added that Irving is "someone on the floor that can help you win, you know, championships, in my mind."
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RELATED: Kyrie Irving Reportedly 'Ecstatic' About NBA Trade Sending Him to the Dallas Mavericks
In exchange for Irving and power forward Markieff Morris, the Dallas Mavericks sent a 2027 first-round pick, along with Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets in the trade, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
As the NBA trade deadline approaches, James said he's moved on from the prospect of adding Irving to the roster. "My focus has shifted back to where it should be and that's this club now and what we have in the locker room," he told ESPN.
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James explained that he doesn't like to "get too excited" about possible trades the Lakers' front office is working on until they're finalized. "I don't invest it all the way until I know it's happened," he said. "When it doesn't happen, I'm back locked into the job at hand."
"The Lakers' name was out there. We had an opportunity...didn't happen, we move on and we finish this season strong and try to get a bid into the postseason," said James, who told ESPN he feels like the Lakers "can compete with anybody" if they can enter the playoffs with a healthy roster.
RELATED: Magic Johnson Would 'Love to See' Kyrie Irving in L.A. Lakers 'Purple and Gold'
The Lakers currently hold a 25-29 record, putting them just three spots out of the worst record in the league's Western Conference.