Rob Pelinka’s February trade deals helped the Lakers turn their season around and make a run to the Conference Finals. Sadly, it wasn’t enough to overtake Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, but the Lakers definitely found something in the final stretch of the season when they managed to move up to the 7th seed after falling to 13th with Russell Westbrook.
This summer, fans are still split on what the Lakers should do and who the team should keep. Among the biggest names connected to the Lakers is Kyrie Irving, and it is no secret that he has a desire to reconnect with LeBron James. But according to The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the team’s plan, for now, is to run it back and make minor roster adjustments and Irving, who is an unrestricted free agent, is unlikely to join the team unless he specifically forces his it that way.
“This is a difficult question to answer, but if I had to peg a percentage, I’d go low — somewhere in the 10 to 15 percent range. It’s certainly possible, but there are so many factors that have to go in the Lakers’ favor for them to land Irving.”
While it’s not an impossible outcome, signing Irving is ultimately not worth the trouble for a Lakers team that is already so thin on tradeable assets.
“The Lakers already tried the three-star approach and failed. While Irving is a much better player than Westbrook and a much better fit next to James and Davis, Los Angeles once again would be risking its future by prioritizing star power over depth and continuity. Because of James’ affinity for Irving, and his potential leverage this offseason due to the uncertainty regarding his return, there’s a chance the Lakers cave and acquire Irving via trade or free agency. But there are several hurdles that make it unrealistic unless Irving is willing to get his hands dirty and force his way to Los Angeles.”
Who Will Be The Lakers’ Next Point Guard?
So, with Irving probably not heading to Los Angeles, where does it leave the Lakers? They can always re-sign D’Angelo Russell, but they can also pursue other free agents like Fred VanVleet. If not, they can always hand the keys to Austin Reaves and hope he takes another leap as a playmaker.
It won’t be an easy solution for the Lakers, but at least they have options and that’s more than could be said for them a year ago when they were still fighting for an identity.
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