3 Reasons The Los Angeles Lakers Need To Trade For Kyrie Irving Immediately

Kyrie Irving would be a great fit on the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Kyrie Irving is one of the best point guards in the league when he’s healthy, and he’s well-known for his wizardry when handling the ball and creating his shot from midrange. As of right now, Kyrie Irving is averaging 27.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 5.3 APG for the Brooklyn Nets. He is having an All-NBA caliber season and was selected as an All-Star starter.

Recently, it was revealed that Kyrie Irving has requested a trade and is looking to leave the Nets before the February 9th trade deadline. He will likely have no shortage of suitors, as he is a talented player that could be a difference-maker in a team’s pursuit of a championship.

The Los Angeles Lakers are a team that has frequently been connected with Kyrie Irving, and he was notably one of the players they were willing to give both of their tradeable first-round picks for. They now have the opportunity to acquire him ahead of the trade deadline. Here are 3 key reasons the Los Angeles Lakers should trade for Kyrie Irving as soon as possible.


They Need To Move Off Russell Westbrook

It is clear that Russell Westbrook has not been what the Los Angeles Lakers expected when they moved for him ahead of the 2021-22 season. The Lakers did not become the championship team that many expected them to be and missed the playoffs last year.

With that being said, Russell Westbrook is still a solid player and the leading candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award and is still putting up solid numbers, putting up 15.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 7.6 APG. There is no doubt that Westbrook could still be extremely impactful in the right role.

Even though Russell Westbrook does some positive things, he has been a poor fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis as a No. 3 option. His inefficient and turnover-heavy playstyle seems ill-suited to being a No. 3 option behind two superstars, and part of the reason he was likely moved to the bench was his inability to play off the ball. 

It makes sense to move Russell Westbrook for a better-fitting player in Kyrie Irving, especially if the Los Angeles Lakers ended up signing Kyrie Irving to an extension as well. The goal right now should be to maximize the team’s chances of winning a championship, and Kyrie Irving would absolutely help in that regard.


The Lakers Need More Scoring And Shot Creation

The Los Angeles Lakers as of right now are 19th in offensive rating, and it is clear that the team needs a player that can be a difference-maker on that end of the floor. They have struggled with 3PT shooting and shot creation in particular. LeBron James has had to do most of the scoring for the team in late-game situations, and it is clear that they need another perimeter player who can take some pressure off the superstar.

Kyrie Irving won the 2016 championship with LeBron James, and he knows what it takes to win at the highest level. Having Kyrie Irving would allow him to be the main go-to player down the stretch, and he could give the Los Angeles Lakers a shot-creation element in the last 2 minutes that they currently lack. On top of that, his off-ball game will allow him to take advantage of the attention that LeBron James and Anthony Davis frequently draw in late-game situations, making his job even easier.

There is no doubt that Kyrie Irving would be a good fit for the Los Angeles Lakers from a basketball standpoint, The key is obviously what they would have to give up, but even then, moving the picks should be a no-brainer based on Kyrie Irving’s skillset and ability.


Adding Kyrie Irving Would Give The Lakers A Chance At The Championship

As valuable as having depth is, generally, it is star-level players that end up winning championships for franchises. The stars are difference-makers in almost every single series, and whenever a star is available on the trade market, it is usually in a franchise’s interest to trade for them if they fit well with their team.

Kyrie Irving is clearly a star-level player that would give the Los Angeles Lakers the best big 3 in the Western Conference if they were to acquire him. Adding Kyrie Irving to a core that already features LeBron James and Anthony Davis would give the team a legitimate shot of winning a championship, even if they finished as a bottom seed and made the playoffs through the play-in tournament.

We have seen LeBron James win a championship with both Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis separately, and if the Lakers traded for Irving, he’d have both of them on the roster. Having two dominant scorers would help LeBron James revert to his natural point-forward role, a role in which he has won many championships. 

Trading for a top-tier point guard like Kyrie Irving should be a very obvious choice for a Los Angeles Lakers team that has been waiting for the right time to strike and make a championship-winning trade. This is the precise scenario where the Lakers should push their chips to the table, and go get one of the best players in the league. Kyrie Irving is the sort of player that is worth risking the future for, and we’ll see if the Los Angeles Lakers will end up getting a deal done ahead of the trade deadline.

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The Vy Lee Tran is a Senior Writer for Fadeaway World, specializing in trade scenarios, blockbuster trades, and the NBA salary cap. He graduated from Earlham College with honors and a B. A. in English.He is an avid fan of the NBA as a whole and thinks Stephen Curry is quite easily a top-10 player of all time. In his free time, you can find Lee playing basketball and working on his 3PT jumper. Expertise: NBA, Trade Scenarios, CBA, Salary Cap, Player BreakdownsFavorite Team: New Orleans Pelicans Featured On Sports Illustrated, HoopsHype, Heavy
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