NBA Rumors: LA Lakers considered the most significant threat to land Kyrie Irving

Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets: Game 3
Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets: Game 3

The LA Lakers are a team with a lot of work on their hands this offseason, and they might luck into adding a new All-Star to the roster. Following news that Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets were at an impasse in contract discussions, LA emerged as a potential trade candidate.

On a recent addition of 'NBA Today,' ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowksi discussed the idea of the Lakers acquiring Irving this summer. If he were to jump to the Western Conference, he would be leaving a large sum of money on the table.

"The Lakers are considered the most significant threat right now for Kyrie Irving. But, that would essentially ential him taking 30 million dollars less than he can opt into in Brooklyn."

As we know, Kyrie Irving was extremely limited on the floor this past season due to his unwillingness to get vaccinated. In the 29 regular-season games he appeared in, he averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.8 assists.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

Lakers seem like unlikely landing spot for Kyrie Irving

Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets: Game 3
Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets: Game 3

LA could greatly benefit from adding a player with Kyrie Irving's skillset, a deal of this magnitude seems unlikely for multiple reasons. The first being that LA has nothing of value to offer Brooklyn in a potential sign-and-trade.

To make the money work, LA would have to send one of Russell Westbrook or Anthony Davis to the Nets in any trade. Between Davis' questionable injury history and Westbrook's storied history with Kevin Durant, Brooklyn likely won't be eager to acquire either of these players.

Along with Durant and Westbrook, there would be another reunion in this potential mega-deal, that being Irving and LeBron James once again being teammates. After going to the Boston Celtics to get away from James' shadow, Irving should be in no rush to join the Lakers and be his running mate for a second time.

The final reason why this move seems doubtful is the relationship Kyrie Irving has with Kevin Durant. Given their connection off the court and the fact they signed with Brooklyn to be together, splitting up this duo might be off the table. Brooklyn could be forced to hand Irving a big payout simply to keep Durant happy moving forward.

There are teams out there with the capital to acquire Irving, but the Lakers are not one of them. While they should be exploring every avenue in hopes of re-tooling their roster, a deal like this seems to be a bit of a pipe dream.

Brooklyn Nets Nation! You can check out the latest Brooklyn Nets Schedule and dive into the Nets Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

Quick Links

Edited by Kevin McCormick
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications