During the Lakers’ game series with the Nuggets, Kyrie was spotted on the court, and rumors started to swirl.
While Kyrie Irving may claim he doesn’t want to be at the center of NBA free agency speculation, his appearance at two Lakers playoff games in Los Angeles is bound to fuel the rumors. LeBron James has made it clear he’d like extra help, and the idea of a reunion with Irving has been around for some time. This has led to speculation about a possible signing and trade between the Lakers and Irving, with the goal of reuniting the core of the 2016 Championship team into the Cavaliers.
However, there are hurdles to signing Irving directly as a free agent, as the Lakers have expressed their intention to re-sign Austin Reeves and Rui Hachimura as restricted free agents. This would remove the possibility of signing Irving unless he was willing to take a significant pay cut and play with the exception of mid-level, which seems unlikely given his recent actions. Therefore, if Irving joins the Lakers, it will have to happen through a signing and trade scenario.
A popular theme all week, in the wake of Denver’s sweep of the Lakers from the Western Conference Finals, was the idea that Los Angeles could emerge as a potential signing and trading destination for Dallas free agent Kyrie Irving.
While we await a clear indication about the Lakers’ intentions there, with no verifiable indication yet that pursuing Irving is among their priorities off-season, league sources say the Mavericks will have no interest in signing and trading with Lakers that feature D’Angelo Russell as a starter. Headed to Dallas. All indications are that the Mavericks are still determined to re-sign Irving.” — Mark Stein
The Mavs believe Kyrie is part of their future
Then the question arises of who the Lakers would send to the Dallas Mavericks in such a trade. Speculation had previously centered on the possibility of free agent D’Angelo Russell being signed and traded to play alongside Luka Dončić. However, according to reports, the Mavericks have no interest in pursuing this route. When the Mavericks acquired Irving, they committed to building around him financially and on the field. Losing Irving in free agency would leave them with no viable means of replacing him, and given the winning mentality now with Dončić, they see Irving as an integral part of their team.
As for Irving himself, he would like a lucrative contract, as evidenced by his decision to sign up with the Nets rather than leave for less money. There is a logical case for Dallas and Irving to negotiate a new contract, with the possibility of a trade down the line if the partnership doesn’t work out. Key factors in such negotiations would be the financial terms, the length of the contract, and Irving’s genuine interest in playing for Dallas, which he had previously expressed.
The Lakers might not care either
League sources have indicated that the Lakers front office is focused primarily on avenues other than Irving. While the Lakers can create close to $30 million in cap space, it appears that free agency is not their preferred path. Re-signing Reeves and Hachimura along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, both of whom will earn more than $40 million next season, would push the Lakers over the salary cap and into luxury tax territory. The Lakers are more inclined to explore moves like exercising a $16.5 million team option on Malik Beasley and possibly trading him or other players for their shot-creating and shooting needs. There is still the possibility of signing and trading Russell, or they could bring him back at a lower salary than he would like, perhaps starting at around $20 million a year. Russell had a solid regular season with the Lakers and showed his abilities with a 31-point performance in the playoffs against the Grizzlies and a 21-point outing against the Warriors, albeit he struggled against the Nuggets due to a tough game.
While Irving joining the Lakers is a long shot, the desires of LeBron James and Irving can’t be completely ruled out. If both players are determined to make it happen, nothing can be completely off the table. The offseason will undoubtedly bring more speculation and intrigue regarding potential moves for these star players.