Lakers could pursue Kyrie Irving

The Lakers are exploring the point guard market this offseason. Kyrie Irving has long been a target for LA to reunite him with LeBron James.

The Lakers made an offer to the Nets at the deadline for Irving, but it was declined, and he was traded to the Mavericks. His tenure in Dallas did not go as planned, as the Mavericks fell out of the playoff picture and even missed the play-in tournament.

Dallas is interested in re-signing Irving, but LA could make a push. If the Lakers want to land Irving, they will have to sacrifice depth.

Courtside @KyrieIrving #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/RhDSYdfkC6

— GQ Sports (@GQSports) May 23, 2023

Irving sat courtside for multiple Lakers' playoff games this season.

Signing Irving straight up could be difficult. It is more likely that a sign-and-trade deal would be made to land Irving in LA. This would also help the Mavericks, who would not want to lose Irving for nothing.

D’Angelo Russell would be used in the deal, but a straight swap is unlikely. Including a young player and a draft pick could give Dallas more depth and incentivize them to agree to a sign-and-trade.

Irving would be a good fit alongside James and Anthony Davis. James and Irving have chemistry together, as they played together in Cleveland for three seasons and won a title.

“They can use a Kyrie Irving on that team. … I don’ think we’re going to see D’Angelo Russell back with the Lakers.”

- Chris Haynes in the recent episode of #thisleague UNCUT podcast

Haynes explained that LeBron James wants to take on a secondary role of scorer and playmaker.

— The Lakers Review (@TheLakersReview) May 23, 2023

In the late stages of his career, James wants to transition to a secondary scorer and playmaker rather than be the lead ball-handler.

Irving could alleviate that pressure off of James, as he is a talented lead guard. He averaged 27/5/6 this season, shooting 49.4% from the field and 37.9% from three.

The knock on Irving is not his level of play; it’s his off-the-court situation. Irving has faced several controversies over the past few seasons, which have led to missed games.

Irving seemed to get behind all that controversy during his time with the Mavericks, but it is something to keep in mind when pursuing a player.

Having James on the roster does give hope that Irving would continue to be past all of the controversies, as James is a great leader.

"It would take a little bit of maneuvering... but [The Lakers] can get there. They can keep [Austin] Reaves & get Kyrie [Irving]... The way this is ending, it's increasing the chances of it happening."

Brian Windhorst on the Hoop Collective Podcastpic.twitter.com/KUjMOLS4jP

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 21, 2023

If the Lakers land Irving this offseason, it will give them an elite big three. However, they would have to sacrifice depth, which could be problematic. The team wants to re-sign Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura this offseason. If they want to land Irving, it’s unlikely they can re-sign both.

It will be interesting to see how Rob Pelinka approaches this offseason, as the time is dwindling on helping James win another championship.