The Los Angeles Lakers are currently one of the worst teams in the NBA. It’s them, the Orlando Magic or Houston Rockets. That’s the list.
Meanwhile, over in the Eastern Conference, the Brooklyn Nets have a mess on their hands involving star guard Kyrie Irving.
Irving, a magnet for controversy, took things to a whole new level recently when he opted to promote antisemitic materials on social media. His subsequent refusal to apologize led to him getting suspended by the team for a minimum of five games.
The cost of this suspension is massive.
Naturally, given the dire straits that both L.A. and Brooklyn find themselves in, many have taken to wondering if perhaps there might be a trade in the cards that could help both sides out.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the answer is no.
“It’s quite clear that Laker Land is a highly unlikely, if not impossible, landing spot,” Amick wrote, before adding that the Lakers have “significant concerns” about Irving at any price.
ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski seemed to agree with that general assessment.
“I think it speaks to what happened last summer when Brooklyn was resistant to giving Kyrie Irving a long-term guaranteed contract,” he said.
“So were the Lakers in a sign-and-trade scenario with Brooklyn. I think for Kyrie Irving, these were the questions that put him in this situation where he was in the final year of his deal.
“I don’t think there’s anything that’s happened so far this season, on or especially off the court, that’s going to give anybody more comfort with committing to Kyrie Irving on a long-term contract that leaves an organization without the flexibility to move out from under it.”
The Lakers are down pretty bad these days. But, apparently, still not so down that they would actually consider adding Irving to the fold.
What that means for Irving’s career long-term is unclear.
Frankly, at this stage, it wouldn’t be all that shocking if he were forced to retire.
Once upon a time a marriage between Irving and the Lakers seemed all but inevitable.
NFL fans noticed that Gisele Bundchen is looking very different since divorcing Tom Brady. https://t.co/QWen98LOGQ
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 8, 2022
But times have since changed.
What will that mean for all parties involved going forward?
Time will tell.
Related: Donovan Mitchell’s Girlfriend Goes Viral Amid Cavaliers’ Strong Start (Photos)
A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
