$30 Million Stands Between Kyrie Irving and Lakers as Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant Rumors Plague the Internet

The Brooklyn Nets franchise finds itself in a concerning situation this offseason. While star point guard Kyrie Irving is expected to leave, franchise player Kevin Durant is also considering his future in Brooklyn. One of the suitors for Irving is the Los Angeles Lakers. Even though it will be a blockbuster deal, it would mean Irving possibly having to give up $30 million.

The Lakers are considered the ‘most significant threat’ to acquiring Kyrie. Irving has the option to opt into his player option of $36.5 million for the 2022-23 season. Unless the Nets point guard is willing to take a significant pay cut to sign for the Lakers as a free agent, he will need to find other ways to make it happen.

Kyrie Irving is 30 years old and averaged 27.4 points and 5.8 assists in the 2021-22 season. He only played 29 games, though. That was because of his refusal to get vaccinated. He even lost out on $17 million due to this. So money might not be the all-important factor for Irving in choosing his next destination.

Can the Los Angeles Lakers land Kyrie Irving?

While Kyrie Irving has been plagued with off-court issues ever since his last season in Boston, he is still an elite point guard. Many teams are looking to add the seven-time All-Star to their rosters for the upcoming season. The Los Angeles Lakers have been touted as the favorite suitors by journalists.

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Teaming up with LeBron James again would probably be an important factor for Kyrie. They went to three straight Finals when they were playing together for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015 to 2017, and won a historic championship in 2016 behind unforgettable performances by both Irving and James. While the idea of them teaming up again is enticing, it can prove to be difficult for all the parties involved.

The Lakers won’t be able to sign the former Boston Celtics point guard as a free agent as they already have three max players on their roster. Getting him via a sign-and-trade deal will trigger the hard cap, which will make it more difficult. The best option for the Lakers would be for Irving to opt into his player option.

Trading for Kyrie seems to be the most viable option currently for the Lakers. However, even that will require some extra effort on the part of Rob Pelinka, the Lakers’ GM.

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Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant may not play for the Brooklyn Nets again. Many teams will be bracing themselves for the possibility of acquiring either one of them. Where do you think both of them will be playing next season? Let us know in the comments.