Why Lakers Should Pursue Other Options amid Latest Kyrie Irving Trade Rumors

Another day of the NBA offseason has passed, and Kyrie Irving is still with the Brooklyn Nets. That seems likely to change before the 2022-23 season arrives, but nothing may happen in the immediate future.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Irving's market "remains frozen." And it may not heat up anytime soon.

"The only team known to have interest is the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Nets have given out the vibe that they want to do a Kevin Durant trade first before moving on to Kyrie," Windhorst said on Get Up on Monday.

But it's not even a sure thing that the Lakers are going to pursue an Irving trade. They've been connected to the 30-year-old point guard quite a bit so far this offseason, though there are also indications that a deal may not take place.

In fact, there are some around the NBA who are skeptical of whether Los Angeles could land Irving from Brooklyn, which seems to be setting a high price for its star players despite the reported lack of interest in the league.

"Rival scouts and executives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, are split on whether the Lakers can pull off a deal for Irving, with [LeBron] James’ looming deadline for a contract extension in early August viewed as a key date," Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times recently wrote.

But even if Los Angeles goes a route other than Irving and tries to trade for a standout player who can help improve the team's shooting (one of its biggest needs), it's going to be costly.

"If the Lakers do move on to other targets—Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon are the most mentioned names—that too could require the team to ship away more first-round draft picks," Woike wrote.

However, it seems likely that Los Angeles would have to part with more draft capital to acquire Irving than it would Hield, Gordon or a similar type of player. And the longer the Lakers wait on Irving, the more the landscape of the league could change, potentially impacting the trade market for some of their other possible targets.

It's clear what Los Angeles needs to do, even if it doesn't have the most financial flexibility this offseason.

“How haven’t teams figured out by now that you need to surround LeBron with shooters?” an NBA insider told Woike.

An Irving trade isn't the only way to create that type of situation. In fact, it may not even be the best move for them to make.

After all, the Lakers grouped James with Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook and still missed the playoffs last season. Their three-superstar approach (even with Irving subbed in for Westbrook) may not be the one to get them back to the postseason.

There weren't a ton of standout shooters on the free-agent market this offseason, and the players Los Angeles has signed thus far are likely to serve more in bench roles. So it seems likely the Lakers will need to make a trade if they hope to make a substantial upgrade.

They should do that, but they shouldn't wait out the Irving situation. Make a trade now, improve their outside shooting and let the Nets figure out what they should do with Irving without getting involved in a potential deal.