The Denver Nuggets are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers but that didn’t end up being the biggest talking point after Game 4.
LeBron James hinted he might retire after their 113-111 loss which sent the NBA world into a frenzy. NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor, though, believes LeBron had an ulterior motive for saying that.
“I’d bet on LeBron’s comments in part being a negotiation tactic: I’ll retire unless you go all-in next season. And the player James probably wants the Lakers to acquire is Kyrie Irving.”
I'd bet on LeBron's comments in part being a negotiation tactic: I'll retire unless you go all-in next season. And the player James probably wants the Lakers to acquire is Kyrie Irving. https://t.co/AaLKDRFfnd
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) May 23, 2023
You certainly cannot rule out the possibility that he said it to pressure the team into acquiring Kyrie Irving, who will be a free agent this summer. Irving has been linked to the Lakers for quite a while now and he was also in attendance for Game 4. It was reported earlier this year that LeBron wanted Kyrie on the team this summer and after they got swept here, he could push the front office to get a deal done.
One of the big concerns among the Lakers fanbase was that they’d have to let Austin Reaves go to acquire Kyrie. NBA insider Brian Windhorst though said there is a way for the Lakers to have both of them on the roster next season and that would involve Irving taking a bit of a pay cut,
Kyrie Irving Is Staying With The Mavericks As Per NBA Agents
A whole lot has been said about what the future holds for Irving, who averaged 27.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 5.5 APG, and 1.1 SPG this season. A league executive stated last month that he cannot see a future for Irving with the Dallas Mavericks as he and Luka Doncic just do not work well together.
Some NBA agents, however, believe he will be staying with the Mavericks. One of them claims to have heard that there was a handshake agreement in place before he was traded while another is expecting the Mavs to hand Irving a deal worth around $201 million over four years, with the final year having a player option. We’ll find out soon enough just which side was on the money regarding Kyrie’s future.
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