For a while, it seemed like Kyrie Irving was going to be traded. The Brooklyn Nets were hit with a trade request from Kevin Durant, which meant that it was very likely that the Nets would just blow it all up and trade Kyrie as well. The priority was to get a KD deal done and in the end, that never happened. KD and the Nets have decided to run it back, and Kyrie is part of those plans.
One of the teams that wanted Kyrie was none other than the Los Angeles Lakers. The plan was for the Lakers to send Russell Westbrook to Brooklyn in exchange for two first-round draft picks. Now, however, the Lakers would have to wait until next offseason to get their hands on Kyrie.
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Interestingly enough, the Lakers still think that’s going to happen. Westbrook and Kyrie are both under contract for one more year, which means the Lakers can let Russ walk all while picking up Kyrie. According to Alex Schiffer of The Athletic, the Lakers are optimistic about next year’s point guard situation.
“You talk to people over in Los Angeles, they still really feel like Kyrie is coming to them next year,” Schiffer wrote. “I’m curious to see how that goes over with recent events.”
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The Lakers have always been optimistic about getting superstars on their rosters, and for good reason. Anybody would want to play for the purple and gold, especially Kyrie, who already has a connection to LeBron.
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