Though he is viewed as a controversial person off the court, there is no doubt that Kyrie Irving is a fantastic scoring point guard. He is an elite shot creator and finisher at the rim, as well as an efficient 3PT shooter. This past season, Kyrie Irving averaged 27.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, and 5.8 APG for the Brooklyn Nets.
During the summer, there was a lot of trade speculation about Kyrie Irving. Due to Kevin Durant’s trade request being active at the time, many thought that Kyrie Irving would also be traded. He was most prominently linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, with reports suggesting that LeBron James wanted the point guard on the team.
“James, I’m told, wants to see Irving in Lakerland more than anyone. What other team, furthermore, has a LeBron-sized personality with the experience to cope with all the Chaos that comes with adding Kyrie.”
Obviously, the Los Angeles Lakers failed to get Kyrie Irving and have not made a blockbuster trade for a star this summer. It seems as though they are also not going to be focused on getting Kyrie Irving in the future either, as a recent report from NBA insiders Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Jovan Buha revealed that the team is not prioritizing him as part of their long-term plans.
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.
There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers are clearly seeking other avenues to improve throughout the season and in next year’s free agency rather than continuing to try and make a move for Kyrie Irving.
The Los Angeles Lakers Could Still Be Good This Year
Even though they were unable to trade for Kyrie Irving, the Los Angeles Lakers could still have a successful season. They did make a move for Patrick Beverley during the offseason and acquired other solid defensive players in free agency, such as Dennis Schroder.
Hopefully, we see the Los Angeles Lakers get back to the playoffs during this upcoming season. They certainly have the talent to do so. In addition if LeBron James and Anthony Davis stay healthy, it is quite possible that the Lakers will manage to make a deep run as well.
