Kyrie Irving Reportedly Set To Meet With Lakers On 1st Day Of Free Agency
Dallas Mavericks All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving is set to talk with your Los Angeles Lakers soon after free agency kicks off this afternoon (at 3 p.m. PT), a source informed Bill Reiter of CBS Sports.
After reportedly trying and failing to trade for his services from the Brooklyn Nets at the deadline, Los Angeles team president Rob Pelinka quickly pivoted, making a flurry of trades to surround the team with more defense and shooting and to finesse the club's unbalanced roster.
Irving's totally erratic behavior since demanding a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017 has cratered the championship aspirations of every team that has acquired him since, from the Boston Celtics to the Brooklyn Nets and most recently the 11th-seeded 2023 Dallas Mavericks. Injury history and personal problems have limited his availability during the regular season and playoffs for years, and his total disinterest in playing defense has only worsened with age.
In the 60 games he was available, he put up some great counting stats. the eight-time All-Star averaged 27.1 points on .494/.379/.905 shooting splits, 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocks a night.
Dallas, the Phoenix Suns, the Miami Heat, the Houston Rockets, and the Los Angeles Clippers are also in the mix for Irving's services, as he reportedly has meetings with all those franchises set up for today, in addition to the Lakers.
He's too flaky and unreliable to make much sense as a long-term fit on this LA team. He's a terrific talent when he does play, but he brings too much chaos along with him to contribute effectively to a winning environment anymore.
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