Kyrie Irving will have a myriad of options as a free agent come July 1, but there is one in particular he should avoid at all costs — the Los Angeles Lakers. From lackluster leadership to feeble future opportunities, the Lakers have little to offer Irving besides the bright lights and off-court opportunities to grow his brand, making his on-court brilliance a secondary factor, which will only hurt him long term.
These are three reasons why Irving must steer clear of the Lakers this summer:
Organizational dysfunction
The Lakers have been in disarray for quite a while now, but it's only in the past few months that all the dirty laundry has been aired out for the rest of the NBA to see. From hiring an unqualified president of basketball operations in Magic Johnson to soon seeing him quit on the spot without the slightest notice to owner Jeanie Buss, to hiring a partner just as inexperienced to run alongside him in Rob Pelinka — the guy they've put at the forefront of the coaching search, with the assistance of a bevy of outsiders that run the organization from behind the curtains.
Los Angeles has no sense of viable structure, and as ESPN's Dan LeBatard has said the past week, the franchise is run like a “mom and pops shop,” valuing family values and star power over sound construction of an NBA roster.
If Irving signs with the Lakers, he best not depend on them to acquire supporting talent, as they've been an absolute laughing stock of a front office ever since Lady Buss took over the reins.
Not much has changed in 2 years
Kyrie's relationship with LeBron James, though in good standing, has not changed much in the past two years since their break-up.
Irving is very much intent in having his own team and James is still bound to take over as the biggest star, no matter who he is paired up with.
Signing with the Lakers would mean a repeat scenario, and even if James was to make an effort to play things differently, his 16 years in the NBA have revolved around him as the primary playmaker. Asking him to hand Irving the reins and play off the ball would be like asking Carmelo Anthony never to take a mid-range jump shot again. Impossible.
While the narrative of a reunion is platonic, and even romantic, if you will — the major hedge between Irving and James is that while their games could be compatible, their egos aren't — and in a market like L.A., it won't be long before that bomb is set out to detonate.
Wasting his prime
Despite a slew of surgeries, Kyrie Irving has started to enter his prime, stringing together his three best scoring seasons in the last three years while flirting with 50% shooting for the season in his two last campaigns under Brad Stevens.
Irving has learned to fine-tune his shot selection (barring his last postseason series against the Milwaukee Bucks), and put himself among the elite few that can average 20-plus points and flirt with a 50-40-90 season each year.
Pairing himself with LeBron James in a tough Western Conference would be wasting that potential to once again take a back seat to The King, this time sadly so, as the latter turns 35 in December.
At 27 years old, Kyrie Irving has already rounded out his game, posting a career-high in assists in 2018-19 while shooting 40% or better from the 3-point line (including four of his last five seasons).
The New Jersey-bred point man has a much better chance to continue what's likely to be a Hall of Fame-worthy career with just about any other team but the Lakers, as the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, L.A. Clippers, and even staying with the Boston Celtics would allow him to build his resume while still remaining a playoff contender.
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