The recent rumors regarding the Los Angeles Lakers‘ interest, or lack thereof, in Kyrie Irving is surprising.
Irving is a controversial figure, frustrating because there's an obvious sincerity in his desire to understand and be understood. Yet, Irving is often contentious and condescending, exposing himself to the type of media treatment reserved for Kevin Durant and Draymond Green.
Even worse, Irving's distrustful nature has put him in hot water, leading to ignorant and insensitive comments that diminished his reputation among the NBA and fans. Nonetheless, while the Lakers have not said as much, the idea that they wouldn't want to pursue Kyrie because they don't want to sacrifice the pieces they get is hard to believe.
D'Angelo Russell was injury-plagued after the 2023 All-Star Break and struggled in L.A.'s first round victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Malik Beasley had a strong debut with the Lakers but fizzled out after that.
Rui Hachimura will be a restricted free agent, meaning that the Lakers will be able to match any offer sheet he signs. Jarrett Vanderbilt is under contract through 2023-24 and L.A. will have his Bird Rights, and just like they'll have for every other player they acquired in their trade with the Utah Jazz, they could re-sign them if they want. They just would have to go into the luxury tax to do so.
That said, regardless of the fact that it seems like the Lakers just don't want to sign Kyrie Irving, the reason they need to sign him in free agency is clear: four-time NBA champion LeBron James is still on the roster.
1 reason Lakers must pursue Kyrie Irving in NBA free agency
To get it out of the way, LeBron James could always leave as a free agent, be it next offseason or a little later down the line. Especially because LeBron has already expressed interest in playing with his son, Bronny James, before he retires.
Bronny, ranked 19th among high school recruits in the Class of 2023 by ESPN, could be a one-and-done prospect. In that event, the Lakers — lacking a 2024 first round pick — would have to get creative.
There are two problems with using their 2023 first-round pick to secure that pick though.
The first is that the Lakers may not have great depth next season and could need that draft pick to add to it. Secondly, L.A. may still look to flip two first-round picks — including their upcoming one — for a star that they want to pair with LeBron and Anthony Davis, a superb talent with significant durability concerns.
Especially with players like Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden potential options in a sign-and-trade. Despite potential concerns about his Achilles, Harden is player that could be a more enticing option for the Lakers than Kyrie because he can control the game as a facilitator and doesn't come with the same concerns off-the-court.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard is another player that the Lakers could have their eyes on. The California native hasn't felt like he was on a true contender for a while now, so he and L.A. might benefit from each other equally.
That said, at 38-years-old, the Lakers do need to add more established talent around LeBron. For both his sake and theirs.
Unless they do add a player like Harden or Lillard, then Kyrie Irving is the most logical option for them due to his chemistry with LeBron and a demonstrated ability to dominate in the playoffs.
This isn't about bending to LeBron's whims or trying to make him happy so much as it's adding a simple ingredient (though albeit a complex individual) to their roster to improve their chances of winning a championship while LeBron is on the roster.
A player that can also take over games in LeBron or AD's absence.
D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt have all done good things. But they haven't proven themselves capable of consistently taking over playoff games.
Signing Irving, a player that probably loves Kobe Bryant as much as Jeanie Buss by the way, would only benefit the franchise.
Give him a max or near-max contract and, if need be, trade him later on down the line. The fact of the matter is that the only highly paid players that teams are truly unwilling to trade for are the ones that don't play well enough to justify their contract.
Fortunately, the likelihood that Kyrie finds himself not being good enough at basketball — given that he's ones of the most skilled players ever seen — is pretty low. Which is exactly why the Lakers would look at their decision to sign him as a franchise-altering move.
For all the good reasons.
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