There has been one big question about the Los Angeles Lakers throughout this season, and that has been whether they will mortgage more of their future for immediate success. The perfect example of this was their pursuit of Kyrie Irving, which would have meant that they had to give up their two remaining first-round picks this decade.
Rob Pelinka had been unsure about trading those picks for a while, as it would mean that the Lakers would be severely handicapped moving forward. But when there is an incredible LeBron James on the roster, it makes total sense for teams to trade their future to win a title while they still can with him. It seems that the Lakers hierarchy is the only group that thinks this way, though.
Kyrie Irving was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, and even LeBron James seemed down about it. Lakers fans couldn’t believe they had missed out on Irving, he was supposed to be the third star to turn things around for them. And while there have been reports that the Lakers did offer both picks, others have suggested that this wasn’t the case.
The Lakers Weren’t Looking To Give Up Both Picks In Any Deal
Getting Kyrie Irving wouldn’t have been a guarantee that they would win it all, but the Lakers surely would have become one of the favorites to get out of the Western Conference. It would have been better than what they have now, which is an objectively bad roster. But apparently, no deal would have been good enough to convince Rob Pelinka to part with his prized picks.
“The Lakers simply would not move those picks. Not for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, not for various assets from Utah, not for various assets from San Antonio and, according to league sources, not in weekend discussions for Irving.”
– @HPbasketball pic.twitter.com/XBvEqYMFo0
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 5, 2023
“The Lakers simply would not move those picks. Not for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, not for various assets from Utah, not for various assets from San Antonio and, according to league sources, not in weekend discussions for Irving.”
Even with Irving gone, there are many deals still available that would instantly improve the Lakers. The Utah Jazz could offer three great role players, and Danny Ainge is known to covet the Lakers’ firsts as well. Ultimately, they will have to move on from those assets if they have any hope of winning now. If they don’t and the team misses the play-in tournament, LeBron James asking to move in the offseason could become a reality for them.
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