Report: Lakers Won't Pursue Kyrie Irving in Free Agency

There was a point midway through the summer when it felt inevitable that Kyrie Irving would be playing for the Los Angeles Lakers this season. Whether that was via trade, or Irving opting out of his Nets contract and taking a discount, the noise on both sides felt too loud to ignore.

That outcome of course never came to fruition, as Irving opted into his final year with the Nets, and the organization was able to resolve things with Kevin Durant. Had Durant been dealt, perhaps Brooklyn would have also looked to deal Irving; however, with the Lakers as the only team with reported interest, even that wouldn't have been clear cut.

With Kyrie Irving returning to the Nets for the 2022-23 season, many still feel as if a reunion with LeBron James in Los Angeles next summer is likely. With Russell Westbrook coming off the books for the Lakers after this season, the team could have the money to add Irving; however, according to a recent report, the star guard is not in the long-term plans for Los Angeles.

In a recent article, The Athletic's Sam Amick, Shams Charania, and Jovan Buha wrote, "The Nets made clear they had no intention to move Irving and ultimately resolved Kevin Durant’s trade request to continue building their championship hopes around All-Stars in Irving, Durant and Ben Simmons. As for the prospect of adding Irving via free agency next summer, sources say he’s currently not a part of the Lakers’ long-term plans."

Not projected to be in as compromised of a position next summer, largely due to Russell Westbrook's contract coming off the books, the Lakers will not pursue Kyrie Irving the same way they did this summer.

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