Getty Damian Lillard guards Kyrie Irving
A $230 million superstar point guard has been predicted to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
In a December 31 article called “36 Bold Predictions for the Next Year in Sports,” Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated predicted that Kyrie Irving would join the Lakers as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023.
“The Nets seem content to finish this season with their current core, including the perpetual distraction in the No. 11 jersey. But this is now an all-or-nothing campaign. Unless the Nets win it all, it’s hard to see them re-signing Irving next summer,” Beck wrote. “It’s also hard to see much of a market for him, given his recent history. We do know LeBron James would welcome a reunion, though.”
Irving is in the final year of his contract. The All-Star has been heavily linked to the Lakers due to his relationship with LeBron James. Irving and James played in 183 regular-season games together on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2014-15 to 2016-17, compiling a record of 132-51. The two NBA legends went 39-13 in the playoffs and guided the Cavaliers to the 2016 championship over the Golden State Warriors in seven thrilling games.
Stephen A. Smith: Kyrie Irving Is Planning on Going to the Lakers
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith created major headlines when he said that “Kyrie’s planning on going to Los Angeles” on the October 12 episode of “NBA Countdown.” Although the Brooklyn Nets are playing exceptional basketball right now, the franchise could be content with letting Irving leave in the summer due to his past. The Duke product never took the COVID-19 vaccine and tweeted a link to an antisemitic video.
“Kyrie’s not re-signing with Brooklyn,” Smith said. “Kyrie’s planning on going to Los Angeles. He’s trying to go to Los Angeles. That’s what he was trying to do over the summer. That’s what he’s trying to do now. He knows that he’s gotta get through this season. Whether they win or lose, Kyrie is pretty much gone.”
Irving is averaging 26.2 points and 4.7 assists this season while shooting 49.1% from the field and 36.5% from beyond the arc. The 2011-12 Rookie of the Year averaged 22.1 points and 5.3 assists alongside James in Cleveland. Irving and James were a dynamic duo and the Lakers could compete for a championship next season if they had Irving, James and Anthony Davis leading the charge.
Bleacher Report Thinks Kyrie Irving Will Sign $80 Million Deal With the Lakers
In an October 20 column titled “Season Predictions for NBA’s Top Stars In Contract Years,” Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes predicted that Irving would sign a two-year, $80 million deal with the Lakers once the 2023 free agency period begins. The Lakers only have James ($46.9 million), Davis ($40.6 million) and Max Christie ($1.7 million) under contract for the 2023-24 season.
“Fortunately, the Los Angeles Lakers have only four players under contract in 2023-24 and could sign Irving to a deal worth upwards of $30 million per season in free agency. They kicked the tires on Irving over the summer and may be the only team desperate enough for high-end talent to commit to someone who has spent the last several years constantly reinforcing the narrative that he cannot be relied upon,” Hughes wrote. “Irving will play out this year with the Nets and then land with the Lakers on a two-year deal totaling roughly $80 million with a player option on the second season.”
Irving not only won a championship with James in Cleveland, but he was also teammates with Davis on the 2014 FIBA World Cup team and has a rapport with Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy. Lakers icon Kobe Bryant was also Irving’s mentor.