NBA Trade Rumors: NBA insider believes Kyrie Irving-Russell Westbrook trade will eventually happen

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said on "Get Up" that a Kyrie Irving-Russell Westbrook trade will likely come to fruition.

A week ago, Irving became the subject of trade speculation after his teammate, Kevin Durant, requested a trade. The Brooklyn Nets are having a hard time looking for suitors to trade for Irving. His value in recent years has dropped due to his vaccination status, off-court drama and, sometimes, politics. But that didn't stop the LA Lakers from contacting the Nets.

The Lakers are obviously hesitant to have Westbrook for another year and have expressed their interest in replacing him. Both stars opted into the final year of their contracts and are trying to bounce back from disappointing seasons.

The Lakers are the only team interested in gambling for Irving, giving him a chance to be reunited with LeBron James. On Thursday, Irving attended the LA Sparks game, causing more speculation.

"The reality is that, the market for Kyrie Irving is very narrow," Windhorst said. "You can spend five minutes or you can spend five hours looking at it, and you're gonna come down to one answer. The only team is the Los Angeles Lakers."

Windhorst said:

"I think this is gonna eventually happen, but I think it's gonna be a fight along the way."

As of now, there have been no developments regarding the trade. However, both teams have been engaged in trading their superstars and are still looking to contend for the championship.

---

Trading for Kyrie Irving will be very risky for the Lakers

Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving

The LA Lakers became a huge topic for their failed experiment last season, going 33-49 and finishing 11th in the tough Western Conference. While some might argue that they didn't have their star forward, Anthony Davis, for the majority of the season, it's still not enough of an excuse.

With the Brooklyn Nets, Irving didn't shy away from drama. His refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccination caused him to miss a huge chunk of the season. Irving averaged 27.4 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds in only 29 games. On top of that, Irving's use of social media was a huge topic of discussion, with analysts often trying to debunk what the star had to say.

If the Lakers are choosing a path to the championship, adding another star who attracts a ton of drama wouldn't be logical. While Irving is indeed talented and skilled, his tendency to draw off-court drama could be a huge issue for the Lakers' organization.