One of the best players in the NBA reportedly is willing to take a historic pay cut to join the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.
According to a tweet on the morning of June 27 from Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report, Kyrie Irving could decline his $36.5 million player option with the Brooklyn Nets and sign the $6.4 million taxpayer midlevel exception the Lakers have to offer. The seven-time All-Star could re-sign with Los Angeles on a long-term deal in the summer of 2023.
Later in the day, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Irving would pick up the option and play for the Nets in 2022-23.
Sources with knowledge of the situation have increasingly believed Kyrie Irving’s willingness to opt out of Brooklyn, sign the $6M taxpayer midlevel with the Lakers, where Irving can re-sign long-term in 2023.
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Irving would have lost around $30 million if he declined his 2022-23 player option with the Nets and signed with the Lakers. According to a June 24 report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Los Angeles was considered the team with the “most interest” in Irving, who played three seasons with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lakers Want Irving
The Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks and Philadelphia 76ers were the teams Irving was interested in joining if he decided not to stay with the Nets, according to a June 23 report from Wojnarowski. However, only the Lakers were serious about acquiring the one-time champion.
“Part of this is a negotiation,” Wojnarowski said on June 24. “He has wanted that long-term max deal in Brooklyn. It’s not available to him there. I think the one team with the most interest in Kyrie Irving are the Lakers. There’s really not a sign-and-trade scenario with Brooklyn that makes sense. Of course, if the Lakers wanted to offer Anthony Davis in a sign-and-trade, of course, the Nets would love that, but that’s not going to happen.
“And so if you’re Kyrie Irving, your way to get to the Lakers, very likely, would be to opt-out of your contract next week and sign the $6 million exception that the Lakers would have available. Now, the difference between that and his opt-in with the Nets is over $30 million. They can clear cap space the next year. They would have Russell Westbrook potentially coming off their cap and sign him (Irving) to a more lucrative long-term deal if things work out.”
Irving didn’t make his 2021-22 season debut until January because he refused to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Brooklyn made a collaborative decision not to have the Duke product be a part-time player to begin the season. However, the franchise changed its stance and Irving appeared in 29 games. He averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 46.9% from the field, 41.8% from beyond the arc and 91.5% from the free-throw line.
Irving Was Trying to Make His Way to the Lakers
The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported on June 27 that Irving was “trying to make his way to the Lakers.” Uncle Drew not only has a relationship with James, but he’s also close with Anthony Davis. The two All-Stars were teammates on the 2014 FIBA World Cup Team.
“There are sources very close to the situation who strongly believe Irving is trying to make his way to the Lakers here and everything else is just (necessary) noise,” Amick reported. “The sense I get is that James is very open to the idea, but the dynamics are somewhat delicate too.”
Had the Lakers been able to acquire Irving, they would have had to trade Russell Westbrook because both players are point guards. Westbrook, 33, has a player option worth $47.1 million for next season.
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NBA Superstar Willing to Take Historic Pay Cut to Join Lakers: Report