The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the busiest teams before the NBA trade deadline, so have they finally found a roster that works for them?
Los Angeles has played quite a bit better since moving on from the failed Russell Westbrook experiment. They have received tremendous play from D’Angelo Russell, but the 2019 Eastern Conference All-Star will be a free agent this offseason.
It’s unclear if the Lakers will re-sign the former No. 2 overall pick or if they will pursue other options like, most notably, Kyrie Irving. Insiders have long speculated about a reunion between Irving and LeBron James, but the latest reports indicate that may not be in the cards.
The Athletic’s Jovan Buha explained to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto:
“From what I’ve been told by my sources around the organization, they wanted to run this situation (current roster) back. It’s looked good so far. They’ve won a lot of games. They’ve done a lot of winning without LeBron James. That’s something that’s kind of been under-discussed. The non-LeBron minutes were always an issue for the Lakers going back to his first year in LA and the championship season… This is my third season on the beat, and this is the best chemistry and vibes I’ve seen around the team.
From what I’ve been told, they’re not going to be pursuing Kyrie Irving this offseason… To my knowledge and to what I’ve been told, the Kyrie ship, I think, has sailed. You never want to say never. That could easily change, but as of right now, their plan is to run this (team) back.”
Buha is one of the most trusted and well-sourced reporters who covers the Lakers, and HoopsHype’s Scotto added that he has heard similar rumblings.
Considering both reporters are aligned, we should take them seriously.
But there are so many reasons why it would be foolish to completely count out Irving eventually landing in Los Angeles. Remember: LeBron gave a weird interview expressing “disappointment” that Kyrie wasn’t traded to the Lakers, and he has had similar tweets about the subject as well.
Even if Kyrie doesn’t end up in Los Angeles, there are reasons to believe he could leave the Mavericks. He has been coy about his future with the team, and there are some whispers he could even once more team up with Kevin Durant on the Suns.
At this point, we can expect the unexpected when it comes to both Kyrie and Los Angeles. So if the Lakers do not make a deep run in the postseason, let’s assume that anything is possible.
