Is Kyrie Irving a Sensible Target for Lakers Amid Trade Rumors?
After a colossally disappointing 2021-22 campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers could use a major win during the 2022 NBA offseason.
Could that victory come in the form of LeBron James' former running mate, Kyrie Irving?
It seems like a long shot, but it's apparently not outside the realm of possibilities. Irving, who holds a $36.5 million player option for next season, per Spotrac, has reportedly hit a snag in contract talks with the Brooklyn Nets. According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, those discussions "have gone stagnant" and now sit at "an impasse."
Should Irving suddenly become available in a trade, Charania reported the Lakers are "expected to be among the interested suitors."
It's one thing to have interest in a seven-time All-Star. It's quite another to bring that player on board. It's worth examining, then, whether an Irving pursuit is a viable option this summer.
The Pros
1 of 3
Want the simple sales pitch on Uncle Drew? He is objectively awesome at the game of basketball.
World-class gamers would have trouble matching his real-life production. Over his three seasons in Brooklyn, he has pumped in 27.1 points and 6.0 assists per night while assembling an absurdly efficient 49.0/40.6/92.0 slash line.
He has already won a ring alongside James—and hit the biggest shot in that championship series. While Irving eventually requested a trade away from the Cleveland Cavaliers (and, by extension, away from James), he has since said on the I am Athlete podcast (h/t CBS Sports) they could have "won more championships" if he was more mature at the time.
In basketball terms, the Lakers could use more shooting, playmaking, shot-creation and scoring. Irving would check every box.
The Risks
2 of 3
The Lakers encountered myriad problems this past season, but the most logical explanation of their struggles might be the most obvious: They didn't get enough games out of their stars.
James suited up just 56 times. Anthony Davis played 40 games.
What does that have to do with Irving? Well, the picture above gives you that answer. It's been all too common a sight these past few seasons. Because of injuries and personal decisions, he has only played 103 of a possible 226 games.
If the Lakers added Irving to form a Big Three with James and Davis—Russell Westbrook would almost certainly be gone in an Irving deal—their roster would be incredibly top-heavy. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but L.A. would need reliability from those stars. Irving simply could not guarantee that based on his track record.
The Answer
3 of 3
In a vacuum, could the Lakers use a player like Irving? No question.
But the NBA doesn't work like that. Teams are always forced to weigh rewards against risks, and that alone might force the franchise to think twice about an Irving trade, especially if it would then need to lock him into a long-term, high-dollar deal.
The bigger issue, though, is the Lakers' lack of trade assets. How, exactly, are they supposed to convince the Nets to let him go? Westbrook is a negative trade asset, and even if he was routed to a third team, someone would need to come up with assets to incentivize the Nets (not to mention that mystery third club).
Unless Brooklyn hears crickets on the trade market, it's easy to assume the Nets could do better in an Irving deal than anything the Lakers can reasonably offer. A pair of future firsts wouldn't mean much to a team built around 33-year-old Kevin Durant, who it's worth mentioning is a close friend of Irving. Talen Horton-Tucker would hold even less appeal after a down season.
So, as tempting as it seems to say an Irving trade should be a no-brainer for the Purple and Gold, the reality is much more complicated. Probably too complicated to make it a reality.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
