Clearly, the Los Angeles Lakers had a terrible experience with Russell Westbrook. The franchise initially planned to build its roster around three superstars; Westbrook, LeBron James & Anthony Davis. But Westbrook really disappointed the fans as well as the front office. After not being able to perform for a good amount of time, they eventually had to let him go. Apparently, at the moment of his trade, it was LeBron who insisted the Lakers to sign Westbrook. However, that trade did not work out so well for Los Angeles Lakers. Since then, the front office has become pretty strict about going forward with any players’ wish to sign any other player.
Similar to the previous deal, LeBron James‘ inclination is once again moving towards another player, who is none other than his ex-teammate Kyrie Irving. However, the deal with Irving is much more complicated. The Dallas Mavericks’ player currently wants a maximum contract, but the Lakers may not have the cap space to provide him with such an offer. On the other hand, LeBron James is way more excited to sign his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate, more than Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James Wants Kyrie Irving, Lakers Not So Much; D’Lo May Go To Miami
LeBron James has always mentioned that winning titles is what keeps him going. However, this year’s loss in WCF against Denver Nuggets might have hurt him deeply. Perhaps that is why he wants another friendly face on the team who can motivate him to win titles. Kyrie Irving is one such face who won the 2016 championship with James. However, the Lakers are in a complicated financial situation. According to Heavy Sports, the NBA General Manager mentioned that the Lakers are not overwhelmingly waiting to sign Kyrie Irving. Apparently, It is only the wish of LeBron James to bring Kyrie in. Meanwhile, the young guns of the team, like Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, are restricted free agents in the offseason. So, the franchise might not want to lose them. However, D’Angelo Russell performed very poorly in the WCF.
He is also an unrestricted free agent in the offseason. And sources have suggested that D’Lo is looking for a max contract worth $100 million. Hence, it will be very fascinating to find out if the Lakers manage to keep him within their cap space. Although D’Lo has expressed interest in joining Miami Heat via sign and trade deal in the offseason. Now one may ask why D’Lo wants to move to Miami Heat. Well, the reason for it is that the Heat is not looking for a star at present. Moreover, their coach Erik Spoelstra might help him get into an environment where he becomes the best version of himself yet again. But D’Lo might want another chance with Los Angeles Lakers for redemption. The front office will look into that in the offseason for sure.
Will LeBron Play For The Next Season If Kyrie Comes To LA?
Apparently, the Los Angeles Lakers do not have much cap space because of their top two stars – LeBron James and Anthony Davis. But James is contemplating retirement plans after a humiliating loss in the Western Conference Finals. If he leaves, then the cap space will open up a lot for the LA franchise. But they might not want to let the 4-time MVP go so soon. However, they would like to do anything to keep LeBron James happy.
But what if bringing Kyrie Irving into the roster is the only way to get the King to stay? James had a season of ups and downs this year. He broke the scoring record. On the other hand, the Lakers lost 0-4 to Denver Nuggets in the WCF. At 38, LeBron has been performing at a very high level. But he did stay outside the court for a month due to a tendon injury on his right foot. Now, the Lakers’ ace needed to undergo surgery, but he left it for the offseason. He might undergo surgery very soon.