Getty Kyrie Irving guards LeBron James.
It’s no secret the Los Angeles Lakers are trying to upgrade their roster as they go on another championship run, and one of the ways they can do that is a trade for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving.
Irving and the Lakers have been linked together in the past, and that would make a lot of sense considering him and LeBron James won a championship together in Cleveland. Irving’s problems have been well documented over the past several years, but his talent has never been in question.
With Kevin Durant’s trade request looming over the Nets, the best case scenario for the team might be to trade both of their starts and try to get something back in return.
The Lakers have reportedly improved their offer to include their two first round picks for 2027 and 2029, according to New York Daily News reporter Kristian Winfield.
Lakers Try Harder
As far as fans know, the Lakers are the only team who have actively tried to acquire Irving, so in a way they might be bidding against themselves. The Nets have been unwilling to trade Irving for Russell Westbrook, a trade the Lakers would love to make, but now the offer is getting sweeter.
“Elsewhere, there doesn’t appear to be much traction on a Durant deal, though the Los Angeles Lakers are now reportedly willing to include both 2027 and 2029 first-round draft picks in a deal for Kyrie Irving,” Winfield reported. “Earlier in the offseason, the Nets were unwilling to take back Russell Westbrook in any Irving deal. It is unclear if their stance remains unchanged or could change depending on what is received in a potential Durant deal.”
If the Lakers deal falls through, it could prove difficult to move Irving as the star guard has burned a lot of bridges as of late. He had a rough end to his Cleveland tenure, flamed out in Boston, and now it looks like the same is on the verge of happening in Brooklyn.
Can Irving Be Moved?
If we were simply talking about Kyrie Irving the basketball player, this would be an easy question to answer as he’d hold value all over the league. However, things aren’t as simple as that.
Heavy.com NBA insider Steve Bulpett says the Nets would love to move their star guard, but it won’t be done if they get nothing of value in return.
“What can you get for Kyrie, that’s the question,” he said. “The Nets would love to be out of that situation but they don’t want to give him up for nothing and what’s his true value? It would appear that whatever you can get in return, from everything I am gathering talking to teams, what you can get in return for Kyrie Irving is not nearly matched by his talent. But then, how often is his talent on the court? Last year, he found a couple different ways to miss games.”
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