Could Kyire be the missing piece for Los Angeles?
Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kyrie Irving requested a trade on Friday that shocked the NBA world. This request came out of left field, even by Irving’s standards.
Irving told the Nets that he would leave the Nets at the end of the season when his contract is up, and many pundits and people on social media immediately turned to the Lakers. The Lakers and Kyrie were linked in the summer before the 2022-2023 season, and seven months later, we are here once again.
It’s a different feeling this time, knowing Kyrie won’t resign with the Nets, so might as well get something in return for him, but you never know what can happen with Irving from now to Thursday’s trade deadline.
Kyrie comes with a ton of baggage off the court, but CBS sports writer Brad Botkin says why the reward can be worth the trade.
“But viewed independently, Irving would make the Lakers a real and immediate contender. They already have a ton of guards and could really use some size and perimeter defense. But they could also use Irving’s shooting, isolation scoring and playmaking. You don’t have to squint to see a terrifyingly explosive offense being led by James, Irving and Anthony Davis, the latter of whom, when healthy, can, in theory, erase some of the perimeter-defense liabilities.”
Irving could be an expensive rental, and there’s no guarantee LA will re-sign him, or even worse, there’s no guarantee LA will win the championship this season. One thing is for sure; the Lakers will be a scary sight in the postseason if they can acquire Iriving.
Undoubtedly, the 30-year-old will complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis perfectly and be the deadliest “big three” in the league to date.
High risk, high reward for the Lakers, but if you’re Rob Pelinka and searching for another championship, you need to pull the trigger and worry about all that other stuff afterward.
