Los Angeles Lakers had a difficult 2022-23 season. But they anyway fought through and reached the Western Conference finals. Clearly, the Purple and Gold Army turned things around after the front office had successful and promising trades in February. The players who came in and around February changed the dynamic of the roster and brought balance. Then the epic turnaround started when the Lakers rose up from 13th place to finish as the seventh seed. Anthony Davis was a shining light who came to the rescue along with players like D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura, who came in and around February.
These players are looking promising because they are young and talented. The front office can easily think about building a team around these young and vibrant talents. But the question is, what kind of contract are they offering to these players? Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves are restricted free agents in the offseason. But D’Angelo Russell is an unrestricted free agent. Hence, he may or may not stay on the Lakers’ roster, depending on the franchise’s cap space. Amid this, recent reports from a source claim that the Lakers’ front office is in dire pursuit of buying Trae Young From The Atlanta Hawks. But will he be a good option for the LA side? Keep reading to find out.
Is Trae Young A Viable Option For The Lakers?
The Lakers have already invested heavily in the top two stars, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, in the case of James, there is doubt and concern regarding his retirement plans. He sounded pretty upset after losing by 0-4 to the Denver Nuggets, resulting in elimination. Hence, LeBron James’ place on the Lakers’ roster is a little bit doubtful. Thus, the squad needs to look for more young and stunning players on the roster. And a good option for the Lakers to buy is Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks.
Trae Young has an average of 25.5 points in his career, and that makes him an easy choice for All-Star selections. Moreover, Young is single-handedly trying to help Atlanta Hawks do something special in the playoffs. But the team is just not playoff material. They lack in every department despite Trae Young giving his best at offense. However, unlike Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers, Trae Young is a player whom the coach can count on to be consistent. However, he is under a 5-year contract with the Hawks at present. Under that contract, the 24-year-old will earn $215,159,700 in these five years, as guaranteed. But the Lakers’ front office, especially Rob Pelinka, is trying to convince Young to join the Lakers in case LeBron James becomes unavailable.
Los Angeles Is Not Interested In Kyrie Irving At Present
On the other hand, the Los Angeles Lakers are not showing any keen interest in signing Kyrie Irving, which would immensely please LeBron James. The old Cleveland Cavaliers teammate of James came very close to joining the Lakers. But then Brooklyn Nets traded him to Dallas Mavericks. He could not help his new team make the postseason.
Albeit, Irving helped his team win an exciting encounter against the Lakers in the regular season at the last second. He did not score the clutch point but was the crucial assist in the final seconds.
