Lakers: NBA Expert Outlines Three-Team Trade to Get Kyrie Irving to LA
The Nets continue to be at the center of the NBA universe. More than half the league has reportedly contacted Brooklyn about Kevin Durant, who recently requested a trade from the Nets. On the Kyrie Irving front, the Lakers remain the only team seriously pursuing adding the seven-time All-Star. Irving's desire to get traded to the Lakers isn't a secret.
Therein lies the problem. The Nets know that the Lakers want Irving and want to rid themselves of the Russell Westbrook, despite their public campaigning that they're planning on beginning the season with Westbrook.
The Lakers in turn don't want to get fleeced for Kyrie, who's on the last year of his current deal.
In a recent article by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Pincus discussed how a three-team trade that included the San Antonio Spurs could grease the wheels for a Kyrie Irving-Russell Westbrook trade if the Spurs, instead of the Nets, were the team receiving Westbrook.
"Expanded to a three-way deal, the Spurs would also need to clear additional salary for Westbrook. Leaving out Curry and Harris, the Lakers could land either Doug McDermott (owed $27.5 million over the next two seasons) or Josh Richardson (expiring at $12.2 million) from San Antonio."
Pincus theorized that the Spurs could negotiate a buyout with Westbrook and get a first-round pick out of the Lakers for the trouble.
"Westbrook wouldn't appeal to the Spurs and would presumably take a buyout, presumably for at least the minimum he could get with another franchise (nearly $3 million). With McDermott out and a Westbrook buyout, the Spurs would only add an approximate net of $16.7 million—essentially to buy a future first from the Lakers."
However, the NBA cap expert commented that if the Lakers also wanted Josh Richardson in addition to McDermott, they could include one of their young guards in a hypothetical deal.
"That could expand to include both Richardson and McDermott to Los Angeles, provided L.A. included either Kendrick Nunn or Talen Horton Tucker. The Lakers would have more interest in Richardson than McDermott."
Involving the Spurs in a trade to nab Kyrie Irving is an intriguing proposition for the Lakers, only time will tell just how viable of an idea it truly is.
