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The LA Lakers contempleted a trade for Brooklyn Nets superstar Kyrie Irving during their tumultous 2021-22 NBA campaign.
had a tumultuous season, resulting in the team missing the postseason entirely. The roster overhaul done in the offseason did not work, with Russell Westbrook failing to find his MVP form in Hollywood.
As per NBA rumors, the LA Lakers explored possible trades during the season. One of them was acquiring Irving from the Nets and reuniting him with LeBron James, as per Ian Begley of SNY, who said:
"Some members of the Lakers organization discussed the possibility of trading for Irving during that stretch of the season, sources say. The deal would have obviously reunited Irving with LeBron James. It's unclear if the Lakers reached any internal consensus on Irving at the time. And it doesn't really matter at this point."
Irving's situation with the Nets at the time was very unclear. He was not eligible to play at home due to his vaccination status. The Nets decided not to allow him into road games at the start of the season before changing their mind later.
In an appearance on "The ETC" podcast, Irving revealed that he wondered about his future during the season. He recalled thinking about getting released or traded by the Nets due to his COVID-19 vaccination stance, saying:
"I was wondering at home what my future was going to look like, you know? Whether I was going to be traded, whether I was going to be released, whether I was going to get the opportunity to be on another team, how I was going to spin this for myself in a positive way."
Can LA Lakers acquire Kyrie Irving?
Kyrie Irving has a player option worth $36.5 million next season. He's also eligible to sign a five-year contract extension worth around $246 million. All signs point to Irving opting in with the Nets and signing the massive contract extension.
However, can the LA Lakers manage to acquire Irving from the Nets? It's not impossible, but Brooklyn has no reason to accept a deal from the Lakers unless the latter offer Anthony Davis in return.
Brooklyn might even balk at that due to Davis' injury history. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook's value took a hit, as he endured the worst season of his career. So he might not be an attractive option for the Nets, and James might not be interested in playing in Brooklyn.
Nevertheless, the ship has sailed on the possibility of the LA Lakers acquiring Irving due to the easing of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate in New York. The Lakers will now have to focus on their other targets. They were linked with John Wall of the Houston Rockets, but general manager Rob Pelinka was not willing to let go of a future first-round pick.
It's going to be a tough offseason for the LA Lakers. They'll have to overhaul their roster with a limited cap space as they seek younger players. Westbrook's trade might be inevitable, but would it really turn the Lakers into contenders? The Lakers are also in search for a new coach after firing Frank Vogel.
