Kyrie Irving is set to enter the free agency this offseason as he looks for a long-term contract that the Brooklyn nets are unwilling to provide. The Nets point guard would most probably end his $136 million contract with Brooklyn to enter free agency. If he stayed with the franchise, Irving would be paid a $36.5 million salary for the next season.
With the NBA free agency approaching, all 29 teams in the NBA will have an opportunity to bid for the veteran point guard who won the championship with LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. However, several sources have suggested that Kyrie might be inclined toward joining the Los Angeles Lakers. He hopes to reunite with James, with whom he has had the most success on the court. Sadly, the Lakers do not have the resources to bid for Irving, and the only ways they could get him is a Westbrook trade or if the seven-time All-Star takes a $30 million pay cut to join the franchise. But, the latter option seems to be rather unlikely.
However, the NBA fraternity still believes that the Lakers still have a fair shot at acquiring Kyrie Irving. As per NBA Insider Marc Stein, credible entities around the league claimed that Irving reportedly contacted LeBron James to team up with him and join the Lakers for the upcoming season.
Another report from Hoop Central suggested that credible rumblings about Irving contacting LeBron in recent times are in circulation. Kyrie presumable discussed a potential reunion with his former Cavaliers teammate in LA. Thus, a trade between Westbrook and Irving could be the best option for the Nets and the Lakers. LeBron could reunite with Irving alongside Anthony Davis, while Russell Westbrook could return back to the Nets and team up with Kevin Durant again.
LeBron-Irving: A Championship-Winning Duo
LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love led the franchise to their first and only NBA championship in 2016. However, Kyrie decided to leave the franchise after the win as he did not want to play under James\’ shadow. He asked Cleveland for a transfer without discussing it with James. The move did create a tense situation between the two legends.
Earlier, Irving also admitted that he acted immaturely by asking for a trade and regretted not playing more along with LeBron James. Kyrie and LeBron were the championship-winning formula the Lakers could bid on this season. And they could definitely pull it off if they play their cards right. With the experience that James and Kyrie bring to the table, it would be a safe bet for the Lakers after a disappointing run last season.