Why Going After Kyrie Irving Might Not Be In The Lakers Best Interest

The Los Angeles Lakers have been tied to Kyrie Irving since he asked for a trade out of Brooklyn, and remains a rumored destination for the point guard even after he landed with the Dallas Mavericks.

Irving is an unrestricted free agent this summer, which in large part has fueled those fires, and even LeBron James voiced his disappointment about the Lakers failing to acquire Irving at the trade deadline in February.

Instead, the Lakers acquired another point guard – D’Angelo Russell – who has embraced being the third wheel behind James and Anthony Davis. Of course, nothing is ever simple in the NBA and Russell’s status as an unrestricted free agent this summer – same as with Irving – has kept the flame alive about another change at point guard this summer.

The question now is: Would it be wise for the Lakers to bring in Irving, considering they’re currently the favorites to move on from their series against the Memphis Grizzlies, and looking primed to go into the second round of playoffs with momentum?

The Lakers, more than anyone, understand how much the wrong point guard can affect a team’s ability to win. They traded for Russell Westbrook in 2021, missed the playoffs that year, and were on their way to another wasted year until they moved off of him at the aforementioned deadline.

Irving, while significantly more effective on the court than Westbrook, comes with his own personal challenges. In a media market such as Los Angeles, would an acquisition of Irving hurt more than it helps?

Setting aside Irving’s controversies, of which there are many, it’s also fair to wonder if Irving, James, and Davis would mesh well. While Irving and James won a championship together in 2016, that’s seven years ago. Both players have changed since then, and there are no guarantees that they’ll be able to match the on-court chemistry they had back then.

As for Davis, he’s a different player than Kevin Love, who was the third banana on that Cavaliers team. Love was more of a spacer and play-initiator than a powerful interior scorer like Davis. Simply put, there would be less space for Irving to operate with. That might not be important during the regular season or even in the early stages of the playoffs. But should they make it far, some team will figure out a way to exploit that.

Beyond that, there’s also the issues of money. Irving will likely command a max-level contract, which would force the Lakers to give up certain players to be able to afford him. They’re currently winning due to the depth they acquired in February, being able to rely on players such as Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Rui Hachimura.

Vanderbilt is earning just $4.7 million, so he’s not much of a problem. Hachimura is a restricted free agent who will likely have a market of $15 million annually. Beasley would look for comparable money. And then, of course, the Lakers will also need to pay up for Austin Reaves, the break-out wing, who is giving him elite offensive efficiency this season.

A significant portion of talent would have to be relinquished to be able to afford Irving – unless he takes a drastic paycut – and that seems like a path the Lakers have walked before, with horrible results.

As for Russell, the Lakers could even save money on his next deal. He’s earning $31.7 million this year, but that’s above his market value. While Russell has been an asset for the Lakers, he’s closer to being worth $20-24 million per year than his current compensation.

As such, the Lakers could go in the direction of retaining their depth, re-signing their current point guard for less, and even have an exception to work with, depending on whether or not they find themselves in the tax.

Irving, while a tremendous player and one of the most potent scorers in the NBA, is a luxury car, and one the Lakers could only afford if they were to sell the roof of their house.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the Lakers shouldn’t at least inquire about the possibility. What if Irving was willing to sign for much less, and the Mavericks were keen on conducting a double sign-and-trade with Irving and Russell as the centerpieces?

NBA summers are known for being whacky, and this could be another example if it came to fruition. But it would take the alignment of the stars to pull it off, and even then, you’d need to make sure the current depth of players are retained. Going into the summer, that should hands down be the Lakers’ first priority.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.