The Los Angeles Lakers may currently be in the midst of their second-round playoff bout against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, but the media already seems to be focusing in on some of their potential offseason plans. Perhaps the biggest rumbling pertaining the LA's summer agenda seems to be the possibility of a free agency pursuit of perennial All-Star Kyrie Irving.

The polarizing guard has been linked to the franchise all throughout the 2022-23 campaign and, recently, such buzz has only gone on to increase what with his recent sighting at their Game 6 closeout contest against the Memphis Grizzlies during the Western Conference Quarterfinals.

However, despite the fanfare this pairing may be receiving, there are many arguments to be made that a Kyrie Irving-Lakers team-up should not be a serious option for Rob Pelinka and company to consider. In other words, sure the concept of seeing LeBron James reunite with his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate may be incredibly entertaining, but would it really be beneficial?

With this in mind, here are two reasons Los Angeles may wish to consider steering clear of the controversial star guard during this summer's NBA free agency period.

2) Reliability

When Kyrie Irving is locked in and present on the hardwood, there are few players in league history who have showcased the type of talent and skill set that he possesses. Arguably the best ball-handler of all time, the point guard has come across an incredible amount of success throughout his 12-year league tenure and boasts stellar career averages of 23.4 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 47.2% from the field and 39.1% from deep.

That said, since his unceremonious exit from the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2017, he has been far from a sure bet to be found suiting up on a nightly basis.

Whether it's injuries, suspension, or simply just not showing up to games, over the last six seasons the 31-year-old has been a wildcard in the availability department.

Since the 2017-18 season, Kyrie Irving has suited up for 290 of a potential total of 472 regular season games due to varying reasons.

Of course, during these games where he's played, it must be noted that while the eight-time All-Star was found on the floor, it hasn't been a guarantee that he'll actually show up from a production standpoint. Who can forget his implosion during the 2019 postseason while with the Boston Celtics when he already decided that he wasn't willing to re-sign with the organization during that summer's free agency?

When it comes to this Los Angeles Lakers team that is already heavily reliant on aging and injury-plagued stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, respectively, availability and, frankly, reliability are perhaps two of the most vital attributes that they need to have in tow in order to remain relevant.

Kyrie Irving is many things, but to say he's either of these at this point in his career would be a complete and utter farce.

1) Cost

Let's just say that even with his unpredictable behavior, the Lakers were still interested in reuniting their franchise cornerstone LeBron James with his former Cavs teammate Kyrie Irving. Let's just say that, at the end of the day, Los Angeles's decision-makers are solely focused on getting the most amount of top-tier talent they possibly can on their squad.

Fine…but how would they even begin to clear up the cap space necessary to make such an idea remotely possible?

Heading into the 2023-24 season, LA is currently projected to have the third-lowest amount of cap space in the entire association. As things currently stand, Irving is rumored to be looking to receive a new max contract worth around four years, $195.8 million.

Considering they still owe $46.9 million to LeBron James and then another $40.6 million to Anthony Davis, where does this financial flexibility come from?

Tim Cato of The Athletic recently penned a piece discussing how sources have informed him that the Los Angeles Lakers have a lacking interest in pursuing Irving because of this very reason, as he noted that the franchise would have to shed several salaries to simply attempt to create enough cap room to try and sign the star outright on the open market or even by means of a sign-and-trade.

Unfortunately, said contracts would likely have to include several individuals who were acquired mid-way through the year that helped the club turn their fortunes around such as Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and D'Angelo Russell.

Giving up that proven chemistry and productivity could be argued as being a rather risky move for LA's front office to make and, at least for the time being, it appears it has swayed their interest in any sort of pursuit for the veteran talent.