Getty Lakers stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James
A one-time champion believes the Los Angeles Lakers can win the title next season if they acquire a former Rookie of the Year this summer.
Matt Barnes, who won the 2017 championship with the Golden State Warriors, told TMZ Sports on June 26 that the Lakers would become title contenders if they landed Kyrie Irving.
“I definitely think so,” Barnes said. “I think what they have right now, if they can learn to co-exist with the group they have now, they’re really close. But I think if you get someone like Kyrie and Kyrie is committed to playing, I mean that’s the first thing. Kyrie is probably a top-five talent in the world, but you never know what you’re gonna get. So if Kyrie is committed to playing, whether he plays in Brooklyn or the Lakers, he definitely makes them a title contender.”
The Brooklyn Nets have granted Irving permission to seek sign-and-trade scenarios ahead of his potential free agency, according to a June 27 report from Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News. Irving has a June 29 deadline on his $36.5 million player option for the 2022-23 season and the Nets are reluctant to sign the seven-time All-Star to a long-term deal.
Lakers Believed to Be Only Team Pursuing Irving
The Lakers are the only known team planning a pursuit of Irving via a sign-and-trade deal, according to a June 27 report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. However, the Nets are not believed to have interest in any of the packages made available by the Lakers, who will not trade Anthony Davis.
Irving, 30, has a rapport with the Lakers’ two best players. He played three seasons with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers and was teammates with Davis on the 2014 FIBA World Cup Team. Irving and James won the 2016 championship together, while Davis and Irving took home the gold medal in the 2014 FIBA World Cup.
A three-time All-NBA guard, Irving appeared in 29 games last season. He averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 46.9% from the field, 41.8% from beyond the arc and 91.5% from the free-throw line. The Nets got swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2022 playoffs. Meanwhile, the Lakers didn’t even qualify for the play-in tournament.
Irving Has Spoken with James
According to a June 22 report from Marc Stein of Substack, Irving has had recent contact with James. The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported on June 27 that Irving is trying to make his way to the Lakers.
“There are sources very close to the situation who strongly believe Irving is trying to make his way to the Lakers here and everything else is just (necessary) noise,” Amick reported. “The sense I get is that James is very open to the idea, but the dynamics are somewhat delicate too.”
James and Irving played in 183 regular-season games together on the Cavaliers, going 132-51. The electric duo also went 39-13 in the postseason.
Irving requested a trade from the Cavaliers in the summer of 2017 because he allegedly no longer wanted to play with James. However, The Athletic’s Shams Charania told Pat McAfee on the June 20 episode of “The Pat McAfee Show” that the two superstars still have a good relationship.