Lakers Rumors: Kyrie Irving Contract Signing Given '10-15%' Chance by LA Insider
Superstar guard Kyrie Irving is reportedly considered unlikely to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency this offseason.
Jovan Buha, a Lakers insider from The Athletic, gives Kyrie to the Lakers only a "10 to 15 percent" chance of happening due to the difficulty L.A. would face in terms of creating salary-cap space.
Buha noted that a sign-and-trade deal for Irving would be the ideal scenario from the Lakers' perspective, but there is no indication that the Mavs would be willing to "play ball."
Failing that, the Lakers would likely have to allow key supporting-cast members like Dennis Schröder, Lonnie Walker IV and Rui Hachimura to walk in free agency, even if Kyrie is willing to take a significant discount.
Prior to the 2022-23 season, there was some thought that Irving would opt out of the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets and possibly sign with the Lakers at a discounted price.
Instead, Kyrie opted in, and the Nets traded him to the Mavericks ahead of the trade deadline.
While the 31-year-old Irving was named an All-Star for the eighth time in his career and averaged 27.1 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game, the Mavericks struggled down the stretch and missed the playoffs after reaching the Western Conference Finals the previous season.
Irving did not mesh with Luka Dončić as quickly as hoped, but the Mavericks are hoping to keep Kyrie in the fold, as NBA insider Marc Stein reported this week that Dallas is "intent" on re-signing him.
A reunion with LeBron in Los Angeles could give Irving his best chance at a ring since they won a championship together with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but it would be far from a guarantee.
While a triumvirate of James, Irving and Anthony Davis would be dangerous, all have had injury issues in recent years, and the Lakers wouldn't be able to have the depth needed to make up for losing one or more of them for extended periods of time.
L.A. reached the Western Conference Finals this season with LeBron and AD leading the way, getting swept by the Denver Nuggets.
That suggests the Lakers have plenty of work to do, but retaining the likes of Austin Reaves, Schröder, Walker, Hachimura and D'Angelo Russell may be the best course of action.
The Lakers were on the doorstep of the NBA Finals with that core this season, and keeping it together would make them among the top contenders in the Western Conference again.
