A few months ago, many Los Angeles Lakers fans were hoping the team would trade Russell Westbrook and draft capital for Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving.
The trade didn’t happen, and now, many Lakers fans are glad it didn’t in the wake of the controversy Irving has created.
Los Angeles was rumored to not be willing to offer two future first-round draft picks for the seven-time All-Star, and may have haggled with Brooklyn over who else to take back in a potential deal to make salaries match under NBA rules.
But it also looks like the Lakers wouldn’t have given Irving a long-term contract extension had they acquired him.
“I think it speaks to what happened last summer when Brooklyn was hesitant to giving Kyrie Irving a long-term guaranteed contract. So were the Lakers in a sign-and-trade scenario with Brooklyn. So I think for Kyrie Irving, these were the questions that put him in this situation where he was in the final year of his deal and I don’t think there’s anything that’s happened so far this season on the court, and especially off the court, that’s going to give anybody more comfort with committing to Kyrie Irving on a long-term contract that leaves an organization without the flexibility to move out from under it. So I think for Kyrie Irving, he’s right back where he was last summer which is having to prove himself. Prove that he can be trusted, that he’s a good faith partner for an NBA team whether it’s Brooklyn or elsewhere in the league.”
Irving would’ve undoubtedly given the Lakers a huge shot in the arm on the court, but he may not have been worth the trouble off the court and as someone the community would’ve looked up to.
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