The Los Angeles Lakers put up an admirable fight in the Western Conference playoffs this season, putting away the Grizzlies and Warriors before being swept by Nikola Jokic and a well-oiled Nuggets team in the Conference Finals. Now that it’s all over, though, the focus has shifted toward the future, where a number of premium free agents are looking for their next opportunity.
Obviously, the Lakers have been heavily connected to Kyrie Irving, and it makes sense considering he’s probably the most valuable player on the market this summer. But new evidence suggests that the Lakers’ interest in Kyrie may be overblown. According to what one NBA GM told Heavy Sports, the Lakers may not be entirely sold on the prospect of giving Kyrie a long-term deal.
“I would not like the message very much if I were on the Lakers or if I were in the front office,” the general manager said in regard to Irving attending two Lakers games in the playoffs. “There’s not an overwhelming sentiment from them like, ‘We gotta go get Kyrie.’ It’s just LeBron… That sets up a big clash, LeBron vs. the org. You know, the last time LeBron won a clash like that, they got Russell Westbrook. Maybe he should think about that.”
Leading up to the big Westbrook trade, it was widely reported that Rob Pelinka and the front office would have rather traded for Buddy Hield and/or Myles Turner, who would have given the Lakers everything they needed to succeed.
Something similar threatened to play out this summer with Irving. Clearly, LeBron wants the Lakers to do everything they can to sign the All-Star guard, even though they are having some internal doubts.
Should The Lakers Sign Kyrie Irving?
It’s impossible to predict Kyrie’s next move, but where else are the Lakers supposed to look for their next star? We saw in the playoffs this year that LeBron and AD are not enough by themselves, and they will need someone who can step up and play at an elite level as LeBron continues to decline.
Of course, finding that player is much easier said than done and if they make the wrong choice and sign the wrong player, it could spell the end of his era for the Lakers.
So instead of just taking LeBron’s word for it, Rob Pelinka needs to consider all his options for the 2023 offseason.
