There have been a lot of trade rumors this offseason, mostly due to the ongoing situation with Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets. Many have speculated that Kevin Durant will eventually be traded, and Kyrie Irving as well.
The most notably Kyrie Irving trade rumor links him to the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would reunite with LeBron James. The duo notably won a championship together in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The trade would involve the Lakers exchanging point guard Russell Westbrook for Kyrie Irving. Earlier in the summer, NBA insider Brian Windhorst suggested that it’s only a matter of time before that particular trade ends up happening.
“Kyrie is an extremely talented player, but at $36 million with one year on his contract, it is hard to find teams that have the construction to offer and are going to accept the risk. You can spend five minutes or five hours looking at it, and you’re gonna come down to one answer, the only team is the Los Angeles Lakers. Any trade with the Lakers and Nets for Kyrie Irving has got to have Russell Westbrook in it. It’s just gotta… so I think this is eventually going to happen, but I think it’s going to be a fight along the way.”
Recently, Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook were spotted working out together. There’s no doubt that the two point guards are not paying any attention to the rumors and are focused on getting ready for the next season.
Kyrie and Russ working out 🔥
Via integrityhoops pic.twitter.com/uFgsC4bkx7
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) August 12, 2022
It’s worth noting that many fans claimed Irving and Westbrook worked out at the same gym, but not at the same time, while others stated that Russ showed Kyrie on his Instagram stories, which could confirm they were at the same place at the same time.
There is no doubt that a potential exchange of Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving could work out for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets. Russell Westbrook could potentially do better than he did on the Lakers in a new environment, while Kyrie Irving could end up as an elite third option for the Lakers behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Hopefully, we see both Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook thrive next season, no matter where they end up. Both point guards can still be high-level contributors, and both have a lot to prove after turbulent seasons.
