The Los Angeles Lakers reportedly could trade for both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, executives have floated the idea that the Lakers could form a package for the two players if they still want to play together.
Report: “But it has been floated to me by executives that if they were to be kept together, the Lakers would potentially have package that you could trade for both of them…But we don’t really have enough information to know,” via @WindhorstESPN
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— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 30, 2022
Brian Windhorst, taking a deep, deep breath, says on ESPN that league executives have "floated" that the Lakers could try to trade for KD and Kyrie as a package deal if the two are still interested in playing together.
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) June 30, 2022
For salary-cap reasons, the Lakers would almost certainly have to part with two of Anthony Davis, LeBron James or Russell Westbrook to make a deal happen. Irving opted into his player option for the 2022-23 season earlier this week, but the Lakers would still need to be able to match Durant’s salary as well to acquire both players.
It would be a huge swing for the Lakers, but it does come with some risk, as Irving appeared in just 29 games last season because of his unwillingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Still, Irving averaged 27.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from beyond the arc last season.
Durant, who is one of the best scorers in the game, would be a great fit for Los Angeles if it can strike a deal.
Durant, a 12-time All-Star, averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game while shooting 51.8 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc last season for Brooklyn.
The Lakers could decide that it is worth it to significantly shake up the roster and pursue a deal for Irving and Durant, but it still has to be considered unlikely considering the team’s assets at the moment.
