The Los Angeles Lakers have a big offseason ahead of them, as they have to decide between keeping their core from this season intact or going big-game hunting for Kyrie Irving.
D’Angelo Russell’s performances in the Western Conference Finals led to the team losing faith in him as their point guard, especially with LeBron James wanting to give up the primary scorer and playmaker role, according to Chris Haynes.
(32:00) “D’Angelo Russell was a shell of himself in these playoffs. I don’t think we’ll see D’Angelo Russell back with the Lakers. They can use a point guard that can create his own shot and I think LeBron wants to fade more into the role as a secondary scorer and playmaker.”
LeBron clearly cannot shoulder the load as he used to even a few seasons ago. The Lakers cannot rely on him to be their primary option night in and night out. Anthony Davis cannot bring the ball up, so they need a guard option that can be relied upon. Russell, D’Angelo or Westbrook, have proven to not be that. So, Kyrie Irving has to be their best option left.
Kyrie Irving To The Lakers?
Everyone can see that the Lakers are aiming for Kyrie Irving, but the likelihood that they can get Irving without hassle is slim. A sign-and-trade will be required, and unless Kyrie is explicitly demanding a sign-and-trade, the Mavericks are not the ones who are leveraged. If they’re willing to pay, Kyrie is going to sign the dotted line. The Lakers are more leveraged, given LeBron’s recent comments about retirement, so it’s in their interest to get a deal done with minimal damage.
Keeping space open and signing Kyrie is a pipe dream for the Lakers, as Irving ensured he was traded in the winter to ensure he was on a team that was willing to pay him a max. Dallas is that team, but they won’t hand that money out if they’re being used as a stalking horse. It’ll be interesting to see what happens this summer, as the Lakers will do everything they can to keep LeBron from retiring.
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