Getty LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers have been linked with Kyrie Irving since the off-season but have failed to secure his services on two occasions.
However, during the February 19 All-Star game, LeBron James got his wish of teaming up with his former teammate again, as the pair shared the floor together in what was LeBron’s first loss since drafting All-Star teams was implemented.
When speaking to the media following the game, LeBron shared his thoughts on what it was like to be back on the court with Irving.
“It’s always great to team back up with Kyrie. Obviously, you guys know how I feel about Kyrie, both on and off the court. So, it’s always good to see him. Very proud of him, very proud of the man he’s become in his life right now,” LeBron said.
While the Lakers did miss out on the opportunity to acquire Irving before the trade deadline, with the superstar guard joining the Dallas Mavericks instead, Los Angeles did add D’Angelo Russell and will be hoping he can help lead them toward a deep postseason run.
John Wall is Unlikely to Join The Lakers
Another point guard who was floated as a potential addition to the Lakers in recent weeks is John Wall, following his trade and subsequent buyout from the Houston Rockets. However, according to Sports Illustrated’s Noah Camras, the addition of Russell has likely ended any chance of Wall joining Lakerland.
JOHN WALL IS BACK
“The Lakers have been linked to Wall ever since they traded for Russell Westbrook. Now that they finally got the aging Westbrook off their team, would they really want to add another aging veteran past his prime in Wall? The answer is probably not…Wall wouldn’t help the Lakers more than some other candidates on the market, however, so I see the deal as highly unlikely,” Camras wrote.
Wall was a productive member of the LA Clippers roster before being traded, providing them with 11.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 40.8% from the field and 30.3% from three-point range in 34 games.
Stephen A. Smith Sees Lakers as Potential Contenders
During a February 16 episode of ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith shared his belief that the Lakers could make some significant noise in the postseason following their recent roster additions but did stop short of labeling them potential NBA Finals candidates.
.@stephenasmith says there’s a possibility the Lakers could be title contenders 👀
“I like D’Angelo Russell on the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 17 points, 45% shooting. I like Malik Beasley on the Los Angeles Lakers. I like this kid Vanderbilt on the Los Angeles Lakers. They’ve improved their shooting. They’ve been able to spread the floor. They’ve improved their defensive prowess. If these guys are healthy, the way the West has looked, I can’t summarily dismiss the possibility that the Los Angeles Lakers could make some noise and, dare I say, potentially advance to a conference finals,” Smith said.
The Lakers currently occupy the 13th seed in the Western Conference but find themselves just 3.5 games behind the sixth-seeded Mavericks, so there is still a legitimate chance for the purple and gold to qualify for the playoffs without the need to navigate the play-in tournament.
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Lakers LeBron James Sends Message on Playing With Kyrie Irving