According to an NBA insider, it seems unlikely that Kyrie Irving will join the Los Angeles Lakers.
According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the possibility of Kyrie Irving joining the Lakers in the upcoming offseason seems unlikely. This news may disappoint fans who were hoping for a reunion between LeBron James and Irving on the Lakers team. Buha shared his views on the matter with HoopsHype.
Kyrie Irving won’t be joining the Lakers
“From what I’ve been told, they’re not going to be pursuing Kyrie Irving this offseason…. To my knowledge and to what I’ve been told, the Kyrie ship, I think, has sailed. You never want to say never. That could easily change, but as of right now, their plan is to run this (team) back,” Buha said.
According to Buha, the Lakers have already won games after restructuring their roster before the trade deadline, and they have also won games with the help of LeBron James.
“The non-LeBron minutes were always an issue for the Lakers going back to his first year in LA and the championship season… This is my third. When it got to the point that Brooklyn was basically asking for every tradeable asset, they felt it was too much, given all the uncertainty that comes with Kyrie and the way things have played out the last few years,” he added.
The Lakers reportedly attempted to trade Russell Westbrook and their future picks to the Nets for Kyrie Irving, but the Nets showed no interest in the deal. Eventually, Westbrook ended up being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, while the Lakers made other smart moves to strengthen their roster and position themselves for the playoffs.
DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine could still join the Lakers
Despite the Lakers’ failed attempt to acquire DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine before the trade deadline, reports suggest that the Lakers are still considering a potential trade for the Chicago Bulls superstars.
According to Jonathan Adams of Heavy, who spoke with an NBA executive, the blockbuster trade is still a possibility.
“Max Christie, too, has been impressive early on, if he can fill in, he has a lot of 3-and-D potentials. He could be a trade chip if there is a star available around the draft, you could imagine him and Bamba as part of a package for Zach LaVine or DeMar DeRozan if the Bulls wanted to go that route,” he said.
Although it would require trading away a promising young player in Christie and a talented big man in Bamba, acquiring either DeRozan or LaVine from the Bulls could significantly boost the Lakers’ offensive game. In a previous article, we outlined a potential starting lineup for the Lakers in the 2023-24 season. However, it remains to be seen what their plans are for the upcoming offseason. It seems unlikely that Irving will be joining the Lakers anytime soon.
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