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Kyrie Irving was at Crypto.com Arena to watch former teammate LeBron James and the LA Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers have long been rumored to be going after Irving since the offseason.
"Uncle Drew's" presence in Los Angeles quickly created a buzz on Twitter:
"Kyrie showing love to the goat"
Kyrie Irving had a player option heading into the 2022-23 season. He was reportedly willing to leave roughly $30 million on the table to reunite with LeBron James in Hollywood.
Irving didn't take the LA Lakers' $6 million mid-level exception and opted into his contract with the Brooklyn Nets. When "Uncle Drew" and the Nets couldn't reach an agreement regarding a long-term extension, Irving demanded to be traded.
Brooklyn acceded and traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for Dorian Finney-Smith, Spencer Dinwiddie and draft picks. The LA Lakers also reportedly tried to offer Russell Westbrook and one of their future first-round picks, but the Nets turned them down.
LA Lakers fans could only dream of more scenes like the one that happened before Game 6 when LeBron James and Kyrie Irving met.
"Uncle Drew" watched James' team put on a show in the first half. They faced out of the gates, building a 31-20 first-quarter lead. Memphis trailed LA 59-42 heading into the halftime break.
The Lakers wouldn't let up in front of a galaxy of stars that included Kyrie Irving and the legendary Jack Nicholson. They eventually closed out the brash Memphis Grizzlies in humiliating fashion.
Kyrie Irving is an unrestricted free agent
Kyrie Irving signed a four-year $136.4 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets upon his arrival in 2019. Without getting a max long-term extension, he opted into the final year of his contract in the offseason.
The Dallas Mavericks, despite giving up a lot for Irving, used a wait-and-see approach regarding his extension. Both sides could not agree on a deal when Irving arrived from Brooklyn. Dallas reportedly offered a two-year extension a few months ago, which Irving turned down.
After the Mavericks were eliminated from playoff contention, Mark Cuban spoke to the media and told them that re-signing Irving was a priority. Dallas may have to change their offer to retain the mercurial point guard.
Where the former champ ends up is anybody's guess. The LA Lakers will surely take a shot at signing him. D'Angelo Russell, the team's starting point guard, will also be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
The Lakers will be playing in the second-round of the playoffs against the winner of the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings series. Their focus will remain in the postseason but they will also do their due diligence on Kyrie Irving.
