Windhorst: 'Can't Rule Out' Lakers Signing Kyrie Irving for LeBron James amid Buzz

D'Angelo Russell's disastrous 2023 NBA playoffs could reopen the door for Kyrie Irving to join the Los Angeles Lakers.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Sunday on his Hoop Collective podcast at the 22:55 mark he "can just see Kyrie ready to come." He said the way in which the Western Conference finals are unfolding could be increasing the likelihood Irving comes to the West Coast.

Windhorst added the Lakers might come around to the idea the eight-time All-Star is the missing piece to help LeBron James win another title in purple and gold.

Once Los Angeles turned things around after the NBA trade deadline, the general belief was that the team no longer needed Irving all that much. Tim Cato of The Athletic reported on May 1 the Lakers "are uninterested in pursuing him in free agency."

"To acquire him would require jettisoning several deadline acquisitions who have helped revitalize their season and land them in a second-round series against the Golden State Warriors," Cato wrote.

Russell was one of those acquisitions, and the odds of him re-signing with L.A. looked pretty good entering the playoffs.

However, the 27-year-old is getting played off the court in the postseason. Against the Denver Nuggets, he's averaging seven points and four assists while shooting 29.6 percent from the field.

Russell might be able to help the Lakers win in the regular season, but his value at the most important juncture of the year is limited. To that end, acceding to his contract demands may not be the right call for Los Angeles even if replacing him would be tricky.

That's where Irving would come in.

Bringing the mercurial guard would carry obvious risk. The Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets both saw similar bets backfire spectacularly, and he could exacerbate two of the Lakers' biggest flaws.

The roster would become even more top-heavy, and the franchise would be leaning on three stars (Irving, James and Anthony Davis) who have consistently battled injuries in recent years.

General manager Rob Pelinka may have created a situation where he has little other choice but to aggressively pursue a deal with Irving, though. Running it back with the current squad, Russell included, would probably end with another frustrating playoff exit in 2024.