LeBron James seems to be fully intent on convincing the Los Angeles Lakers to trade for Kyrie Irving. The team was instantly linked to the Brooklyn Nets star when it was announced that he was requesting a trade. He'd certainly be an upgrade to the team. However, there seems to be a massive roadblock for this trade… and it's the same reason Kyrie is also asking for a trade, per Sam Amick.
“But Irving strongly prefers to play his current contract out with his hypothetical new team and sign a four-year, $198 million maximum salary deal that would be available to him this summer (because the team trading for him would also acquire his Bird rights). That revelation wasn’t a deal breaker, but it was an eyebrow-raiser. The Lakers, the source said, would offer significantly less in a deal if it’s clear Kyrie Irving was only guaranteed to be a second-half rental.”
The report also mentions that the Lakers are intent on handing him a two-year, $78.6 million extension. Irving's desire for a long-term deal (and the Nets' reluctance to do so) is the reason why he's asking for a trade. LA is looking to maximize their championship window, and part of that is making sure that Irving plays with LeBron until the end of his contract.
Still, as the report stated, this revelation is not exactly a deal-breaker for the Lakers. However, with that knowledge, the front office won't be as willing to shell out their prized assets for Kyrie Irving. That will certainly make a deal more difficult, though, since the Nets are going to accept nothing less than a premium package for their PG.
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