Right now, the NBA free agency period is seemingly at a standstill, presumably because everyone is waiting on the Brooklyn Nets to make the next move.
Kevin Durant reportedly wants out, and Kyrie Irving does as well. The Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers have been reportedly engaging in serious trade talks regarding Irving, but nothing has happened on that front, at least not yet.
After the Russell Westbrook experience this past season resulted in what most people would consider failure, the Lakers have an opportunity. They can not only acquire Irving, who is a borderline superstar and can address many of their issues, but they can also undo the Westbrook trade, which many people believe was a giant mistake.
Opportunities such as this one come to those who are good or lucky, but they aren’t always absolute. They often require minor concessions to be made.
Reportedly, the hold up in a possible Irving trade may be that the Nets want L.A. to take back sharpshooting wing Joe Harris to make salaries match under league rules. L.A. would rather not, citing the fact that he has two years remaining on his contract at over $18 million per season.
The Lakers and Nets are engaged in active trade discussions around a Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving swap.
Brooklyn wants to include Joe Harris in the deal, but the Lakers want Seth Curry instead.
(via @ChrisBHaynes) pic.twitter.com/EfXK8m2ClL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 3, 2022
If the Nets will not budge on this requirement, the Lakers need to at least meet them halfway and get a deal done.