The Los Angeles Lakers have been named as a possible landing site for either Kyrie Irving or Bradley Beal. However, the new collective bargaining agreement will make it more difficult for playoff teams to add players on larger contracts.
“It’s very unlikely that the Lakers will ever acquire a player like Kyrie Irving or Bradley Beal,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said. “There is no big game catch out there for this Lakers organization.
“In this league now, with a new collective bargaining agreement, you can’t really get a maximum of three stars and expect to have any depth on your roster. It’s going to look pretty much the same.”
According to two NBA betting sites, the Lakers hold the eighth shortest odds of winning a championship next season in 2024. Sportsbooks give better odds for the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns.
“If Bradley Bell traded between now and next Thursday, I think people would be very surprised at the price and how low it could potentially go.” @tweet @tweet It reported on Dec. 16 that the Lakers had an interest in Bell if he became available. pic.twitter.com/snjNC0RNNj
LakerFiles June 14, 2023
In February, Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris were traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2027 second-round draft pick, a 2029 first-round draft pick, and a 2029 second-round draft pick. Brooklyn also received trade exceptions.
However, Irving is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The eight-time All-Star completed the final season of his four-year, $136.5 million contract, signing with Brooklyn in 2019. Based on his recent comments, the guard could sign a multi-year deal with Dallas.
Additionally, in 60 games in the 2022-23 season, Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 37.4 minutes per game. The 12-year-old veteran also shot 49.4% from the field and 37.9% from outside the arc. He scored a total of 1,623 points, marking his third highest scoring season.
Los Angeles Lakers may shun players like Kyrie Irving and Bradley Beal to help build a championship team around LeBron James
In Brooklyn’s 117–106 win over the Utah Jazz on January 20, Irving scored a season-high 48 points in 39 minutes of action. Besides recording 11 boards, six assists, and four steals, the guard shot 18-of-29 (62.1%) from the floor and dropped eight three-pointers.
Meanwhile, Bradley Bell’s situation with the Washington Wizards is a bit more complicated. The three-time All-Star is worth $207,740,400 over the next four years. That amount is part of the $251.02 million, five-year extension he signed with Washington last July.
Anthony Davis will earn $4,060,080 with the Lakers in the 2023-24 season. Of course, LeBron James is set to make $53,369,986 next season, too. GM Rob Pelinka will struggle to build a championship team around Davis and James if a third superstar is added to the mix. Sometimes, less is more.
The Lakers don’t care about Kyrie Irving and would only consider trading Lebron to Dallas if Luka was sent in return 😳 pic.twitter.com/wBqnSGcv0E
– My Mixtapez (mymixtapez) June 5, 2023
Furthermore, Bill will earn $46,741,590 in 2023-24, $50,203,930 in 2024-25, and $53,666,270 in 2025-26. The 11-year-old veteran also has a player option of $57,128,610 for 2026-27. Not to mention, his deal cap includes a no trade clause and a 15% trading bonus.
Bill turns 30 in two weeks. In 50 starts for the 2022-23 season, the guard averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 33.5 minutes per game. On top of that, the Florida product hit career bests with 50.6% from the field and 36.5% from outside the arc.
Players like Yuta Watanabe or Joe Ingles will help the Lakers more than Irving or Bell.