Lakers: Insider Reveals Nets New Demands in Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Trade Talks
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LeBron James signing a two-year contract extension with the Lakers earlier this week has set off a fresh round of trade speculation surrounding a potential Kyrie Irving-Russell Westbrook trade with the Brooklyn Nets. Prior to signing his extension, LeBron voiced his desire to Lakers VP of basketball operations Rob Pelinka that he wants to contend for titles, and privately, James doesn't believe the current roster can make a deep playoff run.
Those reports, coupled with LeBron and Westbrook icing each other during a Lakers Las Vegas Summer League game, have led many to believe that James has received assurances from Pelinka that the LA front office will find a way to ship Russ elsewhere, maybe even at the cost of both the team's 2027 and 2029 first-round picks.
NBA reporter Marc Stein was one of the latest to confirm that the Lakers are "willing" to send out both picks and Westbrook in exchange for Kyrie (quotes via Marc Stein).
"Sources confirm that they would be willing to surrender both firsts in tandem with Westbrook’s $47.1 million expiring contract to acquire Irving (although it’s unclear if the picks would be unprotected or protected)."
However, Stein also provided intel on Brooklyn's "current stance" on trading away Kyrie for Russ's $47.1M contract and a pair of future picks.
"The Nets’ current stance, sources say, is that they are unwilling to send out Irving in a trade if the deal solely brings back future assets. They apparently want win-now talent in return to part with Irving, despite all of the turmoil that has engulfed the Nets for months."
Considering Kevin Durant's demands that the Nets either need to trade him or fire general manager Sean Marks and head coach Steven Nash, the coach KD hand-picked to helm his Nets team, the organization's demands for "win-now talent" seems like a whole lot of posturing.
The Nets traded away three-first round picks in the fateful James Harden trade and considering all of the tumult in Brooklyn, it seems more likely than not that the Nets will be no where close to contending.
As fall training camps draw nearer, the NBA world will find out just how dead set the Nets
