Getty Images LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets.
In July, the Los Angles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets discussed a blockbuster trade that would have swapped Nets star Kyrie Irving and former NBA Most Valuable Player Russell Westbrook. However, those conversations did not advance past the preliminary stages.
Although the Nets and Lakers did not come close to executing the trade for Irving, this could be the All-Star guard’s final season in Brooklyn. With no signs of an agreement on a max extension between the two sides in sight, all signs point to him being a free agent this July, leaving the door open for him to still become a Laker.
One Lakers fan got a head start on the recruiting process to get Kyrie to the west coast. The Nets hosted their annual practice in the park on October 9, which is an open practice for fans of the Brooklyn Nets to interact with their favorite players. But one Lakers fan showed up to crash the party and personally pitch to Irving that he belongs in purple and gold.
Lakers Fans Down Bad 💀💀 flew in to beg Brooklyn Nets Kyrie Irving 😂
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Shams: Kyrie Not in Lakers Future Plans
Though the conversations on a trade between the Nets and Lakers for Irving were brief, Kyrie’s name was still linked to the organization for most of the summer. Many fans became enamored with the idea of Irving reuniting with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, LeBron James, especially given how abruptly their partnership ended.
Irving will likely be an unrestricted free agent this summer, which will make his path to Los Angeles much smoother as he will have the liberty to choose his next team. But Shams Charania of “The Athletic” says that Kyrie is not in the Lakers’ plans for the future, nixing the idea of them offering him a max contract.
“So as July wore on and led into August, Brooklyn shut the door on any Irving trade – closing the window on an Irving-James reunion. The Nets made clear they had no intention to move Irving and ultimately resolved Kevin Durant’s trade request to continue building their championship hopes around All-Stars in Irving, Durant, and Ben Simmons,” Charania writes per “The Athletic” with Sam Amick and Jovan Buha.
“As for the prospect of adding Irving via free agency next summer, sources say he’s currently not a part of the Lakers’ long-term plan.”
Kyrie Feared Trade After Refusing Vaccine
Irving, who refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19, missed the first four months of the season after the Nets sidelined him because he was barred from playing home games at Barclays Center under New York City’s vaccination rules. Even though he is, in many ways, one of the NBA’s most irreplaceable talents, he remained unsure about whether the Nets would keep him after they sidelined him.
“It was only the journey to enjoy at that point because … [I wondered] whether I was going to be traded, whether I was going to be released, whether I was going to get the opportunity to be on another team, how I was going to spin this for myself in a positive way,” Irving said during an appearance on the May 4 episode of “The ETCs ” podcast.
“So, I kept affirming to myself things are going to change. I had people around me — and I’m grateful for them — affirming that things were going to change.”
This is a make-or-break season for Kyrie. All eyes will be on him to see if he delivers.