A new trade proposal has the Los Angeles Lakers trading D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura to the Dallas Mavericks for Kyrie Irving.
In a May 24 column called “Trade Packages to Land Lakers a Star, Keep LeBron James Out of Retirement,” Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed that the Lakers trade Russell, Hachimura and a 2029 first-round pick to the Mavericks for Irving.
“This one would take a lot of convincing all around,” Bailey wrote. “For starters, all three of the players involved are heading into free agency, so this would be a triple sign-and-trade. And just this month, a source told Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus that Kyrie and the Dallas Mavericks may have had a ‘handshake deal’ on his re-signing before the trade that sent him West.
“Of course, Irving’s as prone to change his mind as anyone. And in an Instagram Live video on Wednesday, he said, ‘I am in no rush to make a decision.’ That doesn’t mean the Mavericks are out, but it can’t make them feel any better about their chances to keep Kyrie. And if he winds up determined to go to Los Angeles, Dallas would surely prefer to get something in return for him than to lose him for nothing.
“For the Lakers, this deal accomplishes multiple goals. According to Buha, LeBron has pushed for the acquisition of Irving at least twice. And this deal obviously doesn’t cost them Davis either. Losing Hachimura and a first hurts, but there’s no doubt an engaged Kyrie (assuming he can stay engaged) raises this group’s ceiling.”
Irving has been heavily linked to the Lakers since he played with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-15 to 2016-17. James wanted the Lakers to trade for Irving this season after Kyrie requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, but the Mavericks got the All-NBA guard instead.
NBA Exec to Heavy Sports: I Predict the Lakers Will Get Kyrie Irving
An NBA executive told Heavy Sports senior insider Steve Bulpett that he believes the Lakers will “figure out a way” to pay Irving and “bring him in” this offseason.
Irving not only has a rapport with James, but he was also teammates with Anthony Davis on the 2014 FIBA World Cup team.
“So do you stay the course and stick with D-Lo and Rui and all of that group and say, ‘OK, let’s play with the two stars and try and have some reasonable depth?’ I predict that they’ll try to figure out a way to pay Kyrie Irving and bring him in,” the exec said.
Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists this season with the Nets and Mavericks. He would be a huge upgrade over Russell, who struggled in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
LeBron James Is Not a Fan of D’Angelo Russell
James is not a fan of Russell, according to Heavy Sports senior insider Sean Deveney. Russell played poorly in the Western Conference Finals, averaging just 6.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 32.3% from the field and 13.3% from beyond the arc.
The Nuggets beat the Lakers in four games to advance to the NBA Finals.
“I hate to say one playoff series can change a franchise’s whole outlook on a guy because that just does not happen, but it is happening with some of the people in that building, maybe most significantly, with LeBron,” one Western Conference executive told Deveney. “Is this a guy they want to invest in? Does LeBron want him back — there is talk that he is not Russell’s biggest fan.”
Multiple sources have told Heavy Sports that James wants the Lakers to move on from Russell and get Irving this summer.
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Proposed Trade Lands Lakers Kyrie Irving for D’Angelo Russell & Rui Hachimura