The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets held talks earlier this summer to attempt to execute a trade involving star guard Kyrie Irving.
Nothing materialized, partly because of the Lakers’ reluctance to include more than one future first-round draft pick along with Russell Westbrook.
More recently, there have been reports out of Brooklyn that Irving is starting to accept the fact he will likely still be with the Nets when the new season starts, despite other reports that he wanted to become a Laker.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Brooklyn now plans on retaining the seven-time All-Star.
Via Lakers Daily:
“Now, with the weeks winding down toward the start of the 2022-23 NBA season, it is starting to appear less and less likely that a trade between the Lakers and Nets actually does take place.
“In fact, according to a recent report, the Nets have made it clear to interested teams that they plan on keeping Irving.”
Brooklyn has made clear to interested teams that they plan to keep Kyrie Irving, per @ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/SI6apEOUqe
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) August 22, 2022
As has been the case with this whole Irving saga, one cannot fully be sure what will ultimately happen with him.
Many believe if the Lakers could land Irving this summer, it would only happen after Kevin Durant is traded, and although trade talks for him have reportedly heated up a bit in recent days, nothing is even close to happening on that front.
