Now that LeBron James has agreed to a two-year contract extension that can keep him with the Los Angeles Lakers through the 2024-25 season, the onus is on them to surround him with a team that can contend for the NBA championship.
The clear path to that destination is trading for Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving, a deal James and the Lakers are reportedly desperate to make happen.
It looks like the biggest sticking point with such a deal has been L.A.’s reluctance to give the Nets two future first-round draft picks.
But according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers may have adjusted their thinking.
Woj is now reporting that the Lakers are in fact willing to include both picks in a Kyrie trade but NOT for Hield/Turner. Jovan Buha stated the other week that he believes it may be trending in that direction. 👀 pic.twitter.com/P7hk11rjTv
— Richard Staple, BSN, RN🇯🇲 (@RichStapless) August 18, 2022
An Irving trade would, in all likelihood, instantly turn the Lakers into title contenders, especially since they would likely also receive another player such as Joe Harris or Seth Curry, both of whom are outstanding 3-point shooters.
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It is generally believed that if Irving will be sent to L.A., the Nets would have to trade Kevin Durant first, and there is no indication whether that has a real chance of happening by the end of the summer.
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