The Los Angeles Lakers suddenly have a lot to think about this offseason, and when the dust settles, they may be in the market for a new point guard.
There has been some chatter linking players like Trae Young and Kyrie Irving to L.A. However, according to a report, Lakers fans may want to keep a closer eye on Irving than Young.
REPORT: There is more “smoke” over Kyrie to LA rumors than Trae Young, via @ChrisBHaynes.
“I don’t think we’ll see D’Angelo Russell back with the Lakers, LeBron wants to fade more into the role as a secondary scorer and playmaker.”
(https://t.co/WUAU5yoenw) pic.twitter.com/VeM3K5T4Z4
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 24, 2023
It’s been a while since Lakers fans were last able to enjoy consistent point guard play, but it sounds like the team may be looking to change that by making a move in the 2023 offseason.
Irving has been linked to the Lakers countless times in recent seasons. The 31-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason after spending the 2022-23 campaign with the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks.
Despite often making headlines for the wrong reasons, Irving remains one of the most talented players in the NBA and would become one of L.A.’s most dangerous backcourt players in recent memory. This season, he averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from deep.
Young, who’s currently under contract with the Atlanta Hawks for multiple seasons, is a fantastic player himself. He averaged 26.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game this season, though he did shoot just 42.9 percent from the field and 33.5 percent from deep.
L.A. may decide to move on from D’Angelo Russell in the weeks ahead. The 27-year-old, who’s set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, had his fair share of ups and downs with the Lakers in the 2022-23 campaign.
However, perhaps the biggest decision the Lakers have to make is whether or not to approach the offseason with the assumption that they’ll have LeBron James back next season. With retirement apparently on the table for the future Hall of Famer, Los Angeles finds itself in a tricky situation as the summer approaches.
Los Angeles’ 2022-23 season ended earlier this week in the Western Conference Finals at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. The Lakers are still trying to earn their first NBA Finals bid since they won it all in 2020.
