LA Lakers Rumors Roundup: Lakers almost acquired Kyrie Irving last week, LeBron James doesn’t care about first round picks and more | July 9th, 2022

The LA Lakers are looking for ways to acquire Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets this summer. However, the Nets might be pricing out the Lakers and making Irving hard to acquire. Irving opted into his contract for next season, but could be on his way to the Lakers.

Meanwhile, LeBron James reportedly wants the Lakers front office to do everything in their power to build a contender. James is reportedly not a fan of first round picks, which the Lakers covet. But for the team to build a good roster, they have to part ways with the remaining assets they own.

Here is the latest LA Lakers rumors roundup for July 9 brought to you by Sportskeeda.

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LA Lakers almost completed Kyrie Irving trade last week

Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets

The discussions between the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets regarding Kyrie Irving have been very quiet this week. Ian Begley (h/t Silver Screen and Roll) told Jake Fischer on the "Please Don't Aggregate This" podcast that the Lakers nearly acquired Irving last week.

"I know that some people with the Lakers," Begley said. "They felt there was pretty good momentum towards getting something to the finish line, close to the finish line, on Russell Westbrook and Kyrie last weekend. And obviously, it falls apart and maybe that has to do with what the Nets ultimately want from that transaction. But it just shows you how many different pieces have to fall into place to actually get something done here."

According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the Lakers are still the only team that are showing interest in Irving. This is despite reports stating that the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks could try to trade for the Nets guard. However, Windhorst refuted the reports and maintained his stance that the Lakers will eventually land Irving.

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LeBron James does not care about the LA Lakers' future picks

LeBron James of LA Lakers

LeBron James might be entering his 20th season in the league, but he's still among the best players in the world. Despite a disappointing campaign last season, James still has a chance to win a fifth championship. The LA Lakers just need to build the right roster around "The King."

But in order for the Lakers to do this, they might have to part ways with their remaining picks of the decade. The Lakers could be reluctant to do that since James might become a free agent next year. However, Brian Windhorst of ESPN (h/t Lakers Daily) mentioned on "Get Up" that James does not care about the Lakers' future picks.

"I can't articulate how little LeBron cares about the Lakers' 2029 first-round pick," Windhorst said. "He's never cared about first-round draft picks. He doesn't care about first-round draft picks when they're on his team. He wants to win tonight, and Kyrie Irving gives him a chance tonight."

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LA Lakers want Buddy Hield and Myles Turner from the Indiana Pacers

Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers

The LA Lakers might be Kyrie Irving's preferred destination, but the Brooklyn Nets are built for the waiting game. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Nets are planning to trade Kevin Durant first before dealing Irving. The problem for the Lakers is that the market for Durant is very slow at the moment.

Buha added that the Lakers are hesitant about trading future draft picks to the Nets. If the Lakers cannot acquire Irving, they could potentially turn to the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers are in the middle of a rebuild and are open to trading Buddy Hield and Myles Turner.

Some within the Lakers organization prefer acquiring Hield and Turner, while LeBron James wants Irving. There is an internal divide in LA regarding what to do to improve their roster. They did add four free agents this offseason, but that might not be enough to become contenders.