Windhorst: Lakers Want to Keep Core amid LeBron James, Kyrie Irving Rumors

Despite rumors and speculation to the contrary, there is doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers will pursue All-Star guard Kyrie Irving in free agency.

During an appearance on Tuesday's episode of Get Up, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst said the Lakers will keep their core together rather than going after Irving:

"I don't think they're going to add Kyrie. They're going to try to keep their core players together. The real question is: Do you re-sign D'Angelo Russell? And if you do, what contract do you re-sign him to? Because you're not paying him $30 million again. And if you don't re-sign him, who's your other option at starting point guard? That's a big question."

L.A.'s superstar duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis is under contract for next season, but Russell, Dennis Schröder and Lonnie Walker IV are unrestricted free agents, Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura are restricted free agents, and the Lakers have a team option on guard Malik Beasley.

Irving has been linked to the Lakers since last offseason when he had to decide whether to opt into the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets or opt out and become a free agent.

Kyrie opted in and spent much of the season in Brooklyn before getting dealt to the Dallas Mavericks prior to the trade deadline.

Irving and fellow All-Star guard Luka Dončić didn't mesh as quickly or effectively as hoped, resulting in the Mavs missing the playoffs.

Despite the scuttlebutt and Irving's history of success alongside James, including winning a championship together with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported this week that the Lakers aren't interested in Kyrie.

Even if the Lakers did have interest, they would either have to convince the Mavs to do a sign-and-trade, or Irving would have to take a massive discount for the Lakers to be able to afford him in free agency.

Failing the Lakers signing Irving, Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported that Irving has reached out to James to see if he would be interested in joining him in Dallas, but that seems highly unlikely as well.

Assuming nothing comes of the Kyrie talk, the Lakers' best course would likely be to keep as much of its core together as possible.

After missing the playoffs in 2021-22 and getting off to a slow start this season, the Lakers got it together as the campaign went on and were at their best after the trade deadline when they acquired Russell, Beasley, Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Mo Bamba, and parted ways with Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley.

Despite being a No. 7 seed, the Lakers upset the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs and took down the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the second round before getting swept by the top-seeded Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.

Provided LeBron and AD can largely remain healthy next season, the Lakers don't necessarily need another star in the mold of Irving.

They may be able to get the job done with the core they have in place, especially now that the players are more familiar with one another and won't have to learn how to play together on the fly.

General manager Rob Pelinka went to great lengths this season to reshape the roster around James and Davis, and it makes sense that he would prefer to largely keep it in place after going on a deeper playoff run than most expected.