Right now, Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving seems to be the top target of the Los Angeles Lakers, and the two teams have reportedly talked about trying to make a trade happen.
But nothing has happened so far, and there have been various reports about what may be preventing a deal from being finalized.
According to Jovan Buha, L.A. simply needs to give up one more draft pick, but it is reluctant to do so.
Jovan Buha on ESPNLA right now: Lakers don’t want to give up a 2nd first round pick. If Lakers were to give up a 2nd first Kyrie would be a Laker right now.
— Lobos (@LobosTequila) July 12, 2022
The Lakers have given up a number of draft picks over the last few years, most notably in a trade for Anthony Davis in 2019.
Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka may be unwilling to part with multiple key draft picks in order to acquire Irving since the team doesn’t have a ton of draft capital, which is at least somewhat understandable.
However, L.A. is not in a position to dictate terms to the Nets, as it is seemingly desperate to return to contender status with LeBron James getting older and accumulating more wear and tear.
Perhaps the biggest reason the Lakers seem desperate is last summer’s Russell Westbrook trade, which hasn’t turned out as well as they thought it would at the time.
There is no doubt Irving would greatly transform the Lakers. Although Westbrook is still a very viable player, Irving is simply much better, and that’s in addition to him being an infinitely better fit for the team.
In the end, unless they’re able to find a third team to somehow help out, the Lakers may have to be flexible and make some concessions if they want to add Irving and compete for another championship.
