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For a brief moment this offseason, it appeared like a strong possibility that Kyrie Irving would get traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. However, the Brooklyn Nets were able to resolve the situation and he is planning to play out his contract. While Irving appears ready to be a good soldier for the Nets this season, things could always change.
The seven-time All-Star will be a free agent at the end of the year Brooklyn may prefer the idea of getting something for him before he leaves in free agency. That situation is only viable if the Nets are as disappointing as they were last season. In the meantime, Lakers fans are doing their part to try and convince the guard to come to Los Angeles. At an open training session that was observed by mostly Nets fans, a Lakers fan harrassed Irving and begged him to come to the Lakers.
Irving laughed it off and appears to respond to the fan but it’s difficult to know for sure what he said. While the guard laughed off the idea, he seemed really interested in coming to Los Angeles where he lives and trains during the offseason.
Irving Not Part of Lakers’ Future Plans?
There was a point in the offseason when the Lakers appeared to be all-in on trying to land Irving. Anthony Davis and LeBron James were rumored to be on board with the idea and it’s no secret the team was trying to get rid of Russell Westbrook. There were even rumors that Irving could opt out of his contract and sign with the Lakers on a smaller contract.
Though they were heavily invested in Irving in the offseason, it appears that the idea of adding him has grown sour. According to a recent report from Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers don’t foresee trying to add the guard in the future:
Throughout the summer, Irving was the prized superstar whose name was front and center of Lakers fans. Sources say the Lakers made multiple inquiries and submitted concepts to the Nets on potential Irving deals in July and August, but upon opting into his $36.9 million player option in late June, Irving had committed to Brooklyn for the upcoming season.
So as July wore on and led into August, Brooklyn shut the door on any Irving trade – closing the window on a 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. 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 plans.
Things Could Still Change for Lakers
The Lakers may not like the idea of Irving joining the team now but that could always change. Another season without a playoff berth would make the team desperate to get better. Irving will be a free agent and Westbrook’s contract will be off the books, which means Los Angeles could sign him outright.
The Lakers could have more interest in using that money to add higher-quality depth to the roster instead of spending most of the money on superstars.
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