Of course, it was never going to be easy for the Los Angeles Lakers to pull off the long-sought Kyrie Irving trade.
Potential Los Angeles Lakers trade for Kyrie Irving reportedly facing 2 major Problems
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Kyrie Irving’s formal trade request from the Brooklyn Nets prior to the February 9 trade deadline sent shockwaves through the NBA on Friday.
After a dramatic summer in which the seven-time All-Star was on the trade block and ready to take his talents elsewhere, the news came as a surprise because things seemed to have turned around very positively in New York.
A rift has recently opened up between the team and their superstar player because he wants to sign an extension with the Nets and stay in Brooklyn beyond this season.
According to a report from yesterday by ESPN NBA insider Briand Windhorst, questions about a new max deal, the contract Irving is seeking, could sink a long-rumored trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“The Lakers position, from what I understand, is that they’ve been interested in trading for Kyrie Irving, but they’re not so sure about trading for him and being obligated to give him a $200 million extension at season end. As so if they can get Irving for next to nothing — expiring contracts — that would be something they’d entertain. But the Nets were not willing to entertain that.” per Brian Windhorst
I was wondering how serious Kyrie Irving is about following LeBron James to Los Angeles. The answer is a resounding “YES” if you ask Tristan Thompson, who formerly played with them for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thompson confirmed in his most recent appearance on SportsCenter that he, too, had texted Kyrie about the possibility of a reunion between himself and LeBron, and that he had gotten the sense that the veteran guard was open to the idea.
According to all the rumors, Irving is eager to sign a max extension with a team that can offer him a safe future in the NBA.
A major stumbling block to a potential trade is the Lakers’ understandable reluctance to make such a deal for the mercurial star. That’s not all, though.
If the Lakers want to compete with other suitors for Irving, they’ll need to include their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in any deal. They’ll also have to add in exasperating former league MVP Russell Westbrook and his upcoming free agency in order to balance the books.
The same lack of interest in Westbrook that the Nets showed this summer persists, as reported by Michael Scotto of Hoops Hype on Saturday.
When discussing a trade for Ben Simmons over the summer, Brooklyn never considered Westbrook a good fit, and that opinion hasn’t changed.
Fans also have speculated that the Lakers would offer Patrick Beverley and Lonnie Walker IV in a trade for All-Star Kyrie Irving.
“James-Davis-Irving would be the best trio in the league, and while the Lakers’ supporting cast obviously has certain limitations and glaring holes, a group of Joe Harris, Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Dennis Schröder, Thomas Bryant, Troy Brown Jr., Lonnie Walker IV and Patrick Beverley is solid enough that the Lakers can piece together a useful rotation. Beverley and Walker IV could also be included in an Irving package or a separate deal to further upgrade the rotation.”
Related: The L.A Lakers and the Utah Jazz are talking about a big trade for Russell Westbrook
The Los Angeles Lakers will make every effort to acquire Kyrie Irving in a trade, but their return package will pale in comparison to that offered by Phoenix or Dallas.
