The Los Angeles Lakers will be entering the offseason as one of the more exciting free agent destinations in the league. Although reports have suggested that the Purple and Gold aren’t likely to make any major changes, some rumors have suggested otherwise, as a player like Kyrie Irving emerged on the radar.
With the Dallas Mavericks undergoing a large-scale organizational overhaul this summer, there are rumblings concerning Kyrie Irving’s position on the roster. To that point, the Lakers have been viewed as a potential landing spot for the nine-time All-Star, potentially pairing him up with his former teammate Luka Doncic. However, NBA insider Jake Fischer recently revealed why this may be redundant.
“My only real understanding of what the Lakers want to do from a timeline perspective is they want to bring in a talent that fits 27-year-old Luka Doncic’s timeline,” Fischer began. “As great as that pairing of Luka and Kyrie was, I think Kyrie is a little bit redundant with Austin Reaves, and the Lakers, by all accounts, do want to bring him back into the fold.”
“I’m not paying too much stock in the Kyrie-Luka reunion at this time,” he added. “It’s an interesting idea. Obviously the pairing worked, but that’s not something I’ve been made aware of at this juncture.”
Fischer touches upon an interesting point here. It goes without saying that the Kyrie Irving-Luka Doncic combination was effective. Considering that the Dallas Mavericks made it all the way to the NBA Finals on the back of this pairing in 2024, the merits of this combination were evident.
But it just does not seem feasible in the current context.
The Lakers boast roughly $59.7 million in free cap space this summer, giving them enough flexibility to acquire talent in the offseason. However, given their inclination to re-sign Austin Reaves, who could garner a five-year, $240 million deal, L.A. could see most of that cap space disappear in the blink of an eye.
Whether Austin Reaves deserves such a contract or not is a topic of discussion. However, it is equally difficult to dispute how effective he and Luka Doncic were when they shared the floor.
For the 2025-26 season, Reaves averaged 23.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game on 49.0% shooting from the field and 36.0% from three-point range. As a duo, Reaves and Doncic combined for 66.8 points per game in the regular season and boasted an offensive rating of 118.5, accounting for a 30-11 record for the Lakers.
As Fischer mentioned, pairing Kyrie Irving with Luka Doncic may have value, but it may disrupt the internal chemistry with Austin Reaves.
Acquiring Kyrie Irving ($39.5 million) via trade also presents several other challenges.
One alternative would involve packaging Rui Hachimura (sign-and-trade), Luke Kennard (sign-and-trade), a salary filler, and draft compensation. Meanwhile, another could involve signing and trading LeBron James with draft compensation and other salary fillers.
Regardless, the Mavericks may not be too satisfied with either approach, as the franchise continues rebuilding around Cooper Flagg.
Alternatively, the Lakers could consider signing and trading Austin Reaves for Kyrie Irving, potentially reuniting the nine-time All-Star with Doncic. With an “improved” core, the Lakers may also be able to convince LeBron James to accept a pay cut and return next season, ensuring another reunion between championship teammates.
Although there is some merit to this move, the Purple and Gold would be advised to be cautious. At 34, Kyrie Irving (23.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 5.6 APG for his career) doesn’t necessarily match Doncic’s timeline anymore. Given that he only has two years left on his contract (including a player option in 2027), acquiring him would be a “championship or bust” move.
For all intents and purposes, this would be a high-risk trade for the Lakers, especially if injuries derail the season again. Thus, from a long-term perspective, pursuing Irving may not be the most worthwhile endeavor.
