Things were going a bit too well in Brooklyn after a tumultuous start to the season. Sure, they had tailed off a bit in recent weeks after Kevin Durant went down with an injury, but they were expected to be just fine once he returned. Then, the bombshell news dropped on Friday.
Kyrie Irving requested a trade after he was unable to agree on terms with the franchise on an extension and there was one potential destination that immediately came to mind, the Los Angeles Lakers. It was reported soon after that they were one of the teams interested in Irving but it would appear that the front office has some concerns regarding making the trade.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst is reporting that the Lakers are unsure about trading for Kyrie because of the contract he would want in the summer.
“They’re not so sure about trading for him and giving him a 200 million dollar contract at season’s end.”
– ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on Lakers interest in Kyrie Irving
(h/t @Alec_Sturm ) pic.twitter.com/jQHl3heiGV
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 3, 2023
“They’re not so sure about trading for him and giving him a 200 million dollar contract at season’s end.”
– ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on Lakers interest in Kyrie Irving
The Lakers won’t be the only ones who are unsure about giving Irving that kind of a deal in the summer. It is too big of a risk to take for anyone, considering how Kyrie has behaved in the past, but this kind of situation is exactly why the Lakers were holding on to their first-round picks. GM Rob Pelinka had stated previously that if they saw a move that made them a frontrunner to win their 18th title this season, then they will make it.
Should The Lakers Trade For Kyrie Irving?
If there ever was a win-now move, it is this one. A big 3 of Kyrie, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis looks incredible, on paper, and it would be hard to see any team in the West be able to deal with them.
On the flip side, the Lakers would be setting themselves up for a difficult future, especially if they don’t want to give him the max contract he clearly wants. They would inevitably have to give up both of those first-round picks in any deal which would mean sacrificing the future for a one-year rental. At the end of the day, it really just comes down to how desperate they are to win one more title.
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