“Kyrie’s issues are of his own making, is he gonna go to the Lakers and be any different?” - Ric Bucher says Kyrie Irving needs to fix his problems, says he hasn’t come close to meeting expectations

After not getting a long-term, max deal with the Brooklyn Nets, Kyrie Irving reportedly wants to play for the LA Lakers. Brooklyn has refused to budge on their stance because of “Kai’s” unreliability. They will supposedly trade him only if the right offer is on the table.

This right offer may not come along because it seems like only LeBron James' Lakers are interested. The four-time NBA MVP wants to reunite with Irving. It, however, remains to be seen if the mercurial point guard will change his unpredictable ways.

On "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" podcast, veteran NBA insider Ric Bucher said he was unsure about Irving’s fit with the Lakers:

“If you're trying to go someplace else to fix problems that are essentially of your own making, you have to get to fixing your own problems first…Kyrie’s issues are of his own making. Is he gonna go to the Lakers and be any different, be any more available, be any more coachable, be any more connected to his teammates?”

The Fox Sports analyst continued:

“He has before, so you would hope that that would be the case. But the expectations and where the bar is set any time you have Kyrie Irving, he hasn’t come close to meeting those.”

“Uncle Drew” so horribly failed to meet expectations in three drama-filled years in Brooklyn that his trade value is reportedly at its lowest. He missed more games than he played. Interestingly, the Nets had a slightly better winning percentage when he wasn’t playing.

His character has put off teams that would not have hesitated to acquire the uber-talented point guard. Teams also know very well that, without LeBron James, the seven-time All-Star would not have had much career success, even with Kevin Durant.

Irving is 132-51 in the regular season with James and is only 204-224 without him. The playoff disparity is also very obvious, as the current Nets point guard is 39-13 with “King James” and is only 11-11 when they were not teammates.

Most NBA analysts believe that Irving could get the contract he wants if he can play next season with commitment and dedication. Until then, regardless of where he plays, how he approaches the game may determine his future value in the league.

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Kyrie Irving could remain with the Brooklyn Nets if Kevin Durant doesn’t get traded

If the Brooklyn Nets could not trade Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving may have to stay with his buddy for another season. [Photo: Sporting News

The Brooklyn Nets aren’t getting the type of all-out bidding war they had expected when Kevin Durant requested to be traded. Brooklyn has plenty of leverage in negotiations as KD is still signed for the next four years. If they are not getting a “historic haul,” they may decide to keep the former MVP.

If Durant isn’t moved, Kyrie Irving could also have to stay and play with his buddy for, at least, one more season. The Nets would prefer to see the layout of a potential KD trade before looking at Irving’s situation.

The Lakers-Nets talk of swapping Irving for Russell Westbrook is still a long way from happening if it does at all. Marc Stein reported that Brooklyn will demand a first-round pick from the Lakers as a starting point for a trade. So far, LA has been adamant about keeping their 2027 and 2029 lottery picks.

The $11 million difference in salary between the two point guards is a major issue for an exchange to happen. Taking on Westbrook’s massive $47 million contract will translate to $50 million in luxury taxes.

A new wrinkle has developed, however, that could move the Lakers to agree to the Brooklyn Nets’ demands for Irving. Reports have surfaced that James will not extend his stay with the Lakers without his former teammate. It’s the kind of push that could grease the wheels of a blockbuster trade.