It seems Kyrie’s time with the Brooklyn Nets is coming to an end as the superstar is looking to head to another team in the offseason. In a new report from Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers are reportedly “the most significant threat” to acquire Kyrie if he decides to leave the Nets.
According to Wojnarowski, the Lakers can’t afford to pay Kyrie a max contract, but he’ll get to play with his former teammate LeBron James. Doing this, Kyrie would have to take a significant pay cut.
With the way the Lakers roster is already set up, Irving would be taking a $30 million pay cut to play with the team. He has a player option worth $36 million for the 2022-23 season and in order to join the Lakers, Irving would have to turn that down and sign a $6 million taxpayer exemption with the Lakers.
“Now, the Lakers are considered the most significant threat right now for Kyrie Irving, but that would essentially entail him taking $30 million less than he can opt into in Brooklyn,” Woj reported. “There’s a $6 million taxpayer exemption he can sign with the Lakers.”
While it seems unlikely that Kyrie will take that significant of a pay cut, the Nets point guard has reportedly been in contact with LeBron as of recent, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. However, if Kyrie does agree to opt-in, he could be a part of a trade that could include Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook going to the Nets.
The post SOURCE SPORTS: Lakers Are The “Most Significant Threat” To Acquire Kyrie Irving If He Leaves Brooklyn, According To Report appeared first on The Source.