After a tumultuous start to the season off the court, the situation quieted in Brooklyn and Kyrie Irving helped power the Nets to fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
As often seems to be the case in Irving’s career, however, the harmony didn’t last long. On Friday it was reported that Irving has requested a trade before the Feb. 9 trade deadline. Irving is in the final year of his four-year, $136 million contract, but the Nets reportedly have not had serious conversations with Irving about a extension.
If Irving is not traded, according to Shams Charania, he will sign elsewhere as a free agent this summer.
Los Angeles has long been viewed as a potential destination for Irving, and with the Lakers fighting just to make the playoffs, the team may be desperate enough to weather Irving’s volatile personality.
Here’s what fans and analysts are saying about the Lakers potentially landing Kyrie Irving: