Some members of the Los Angeles Lakers organization reportedly discussed trading for Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving earlier in the 2021-22 NBA season.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, it is unclear whether or not the organization reached a consensus on reuniting LeBron James with Irving.
“Several outlets, including SNY, reported that the Nets had been open to talking to teams about potential Irving trades during that time,” Begley wrote. “Obviously, nothing came to fruition. But some members of the Lakers organization discussed the possibility of trading for Irving during that stretch of the season, sources say.
“The deal would have obviously reunited Irving with LeBron James. It’s unclear if the Lakers reached any internal consensus on Irving at the time. And it doesn’t really matter at this point. Given where Brooklyn is at the moment, it would be surprising if the club didn’t sign Irving to a multi-year extension/new contract this summer as it continues to pursue a title.”
The Lakers struggled in the 2021-22 season, and they missed the playoffs despite the fact that they brought in guard Russell Westbrook prior to the season.
Westbrook never really meshed with James on the roster, and it’s interesting to look back and wonder if Irving would have been a better fit if the Lakers tried to make a deal. Obviously, James and Irving had great success together during their time on the Cleveland Cavaliers, winning an NBA title in 2016.
During the 2021-22 regular season, Irving appeared in just 29 games, as he wasn’t allowed to play in home games for the Nets for the majority of the season due to his COVID-19 vaccination status.
Despite that, 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.
The Lakers need to make some serious changes to their roster this offseason if they want to make another run at an NBA title after finishing with the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference in the 2021-22 campaign.
