Report: Lakers expected to be among ‘interested suitors’ for Kyrie Irving if star guard leaves Nets

Brooklyn Nets star guard Kyrie Irving has a crucial decision to make in the coming days regarding his player option.

However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Nets and Irving are at an impasse over discussions about his future.

“But one of the most anticipated free-agency situations involves Brooklyn’s Kyrie Irving, who has a June 29 deadline on his $36.9 million player option for the 2022-23 season,” Charania wrote. “However, multiple sources tell The Athletic that conversations about Irving’s future have gone stagnant between him and the Nets. An impasse currently exists among the parties that clears the way for the seven-time All-Star to consider the open marketplace, those sources said.”

If Irving tests free agency, he’s expected to garner interest from the Los Angeles Lakers and other teams.

“The Lakers, [New York] Knicks and [Los Angeles] Clippers are expected to be among the interested suitors if Irving heads elsewhere, multiple sources tell The Athletic,” Charania reported.

Irving, 30, was one of the hottest topics in the NBA in the 2021-22 season.

The guard did not play during much of the season due to his refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Of course, his absence led to a myriad of problems and drama for the Nets.

In just 29 games during the regular season, Irving put up 27.4 points, 5.8 assists and 4.4 boards per game.

While Irving ended up playing in the playoffs, he wasn’t able to do enough to help the Nets. In fact, the Nets were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round.

As for the Lakers, they didn’t even make the playoffs. The team had a horrific 33-49 record and finished in the No. 11 spot in the Western Conference.

Lakers superstar LeBron James played with Irving for a few years on the Cleveland Cavaliers. They won an epic championship together in 2016.

Although there has been some friction between the two champions in the past, it appears the two players are on good terms now.