Lakers Rumors: Kyrie Irving Buzz, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Talks Future, More
As the Los Angeles Lakers close out their sixth consecutive losing season, attention has shifted to what lies ahead.
Finding four-time MVP LeBron James a co-star is the top priority.
Kyrie Irving Will Reportedly Give Lakers a Meeting in Free Agency
Less than two years after forcing his way out of Cleveland, Irving appears willing to at least consider reuniting with James.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said on his radio show that Irving, who holds a player option for 2019-20, will grant the Lakers a meeting this summer:
Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher reported in January that Irving was "genuinely interested" in reuniting with James.
James and Irving played together with the Cavaliers from 2014 to 2017 and led the franchise to three consecutive Finals appearances and pulled off the greatest comeback in league history by rallying from 3-1 down against the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 Finals. James' block and Irving's shot will live on in basketball lore.
However, Irving wanted a change, reportedly because he no longer wanted to play with his high-profile teammate. James later told The Athletic's Jason Lloyd in November 2018 that it was "not my problem" if Irving didn't want to play with him.
Their relationship has since recovered, with Irving revealing earlier this year that he called James to apologize for the way he acted when the two were teammates. James told The Athletic's Joe Vardon that the two were "in a good place right now."
Irving told Boston fans last October that he planned on re-signing "if you guys will have me back." However, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported in January that there is a "growing belief of uncertainty" that he will re-sign with the Celtics.
While there continues to be no shortage of speculation surrounding the possibility of Irving teaming up with Kevin Durant in New York, Los Angeles appears to be in position to at least meet with Irving.
Caldwell-Pope Auditioning for Next Contract
Caldwell-Pope understands that the end of the regular season holds value for him. After signing a one-year, $12 million deal to remain in Los Angeles last offseason, he is using the final games of 2018-19 as a showcase.
"Man, I'm just out there playing," Caldwell-Pope said Sunday, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. "Yes, I'll be looking for a job for next season, but my job right now is to play my best basketball for the Lakers, and then we'll see where things stand."
The 26-year-old guard is averaging 11.2 points on 43.3 percent shooting (34.8 percent from three), and he is playing well as he enters free agency.
After averaging 10.3 points in 57 games prior to the All-Star break, Caldwell-Pope has put up 13.3 points per game. He has six 20-plus-point performances in his last 11 outings, and he has averaged 21.8 points per game this month.
"I wish I was playing like this at the start of the season," he added. "But now we just want to finish strong and just go out there and play free and just have fun."
The Lakers close out the season against the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday.
James' 'Only Goal' in L.A. Is Playing Championship Basketball
James came to Los Angeles to compete for championships.
In a recent interview with CBS Los Angeles' Jim Hill, he said the following around the 3:00 mark:
"My only goal being here is to get the Lakers back to playing championship basketball and competing for a championship—and playing meaningful games in late April, in May and hopefully in June. That's my goal. And that's my mindset going forward. It's my mindset when I came here, and it's going to continue to be my mindset until we do it."
The Lakers' 16 championships rank second all time, behind only the Celtics' 17. However, Los Angeles has not reached the playoffs since 2013 and has not won a postseason game since 2012.
Prior to this season, James had appeared in the postseason in each of the past 13 years and had played in eight straight Finals. As much as he has accomplished in his career, he understands he has an opportunity to do something special in purple and gold (19:20 mark):
"I came here for one reason and one reason only, and that's to play winning basketball and bring this team back where it should be. I see all those banners. I see all those banners, all those championship banners. I want to be a part of one of those.
"And I also see all those banners with all of the Lakers greats. Magic. Kareem. Worthy. Elgin. Wilt. Kobe. Shaq. I want to be up there too. And that's my motivation. And I won't stop until I put this franchise in a position to compete for a championship, hopefully win a championship, and hopefully see my jersey hang in the rafters. So that's what it's about."
Year one did not go as planned, partly because of injuries, as James also noted. With an extended offseason for the first time since 2005, the 34-year-old will have a chance to fully heal and get ready for 2019-20.
