LeBron James lobbying hard to get Kyrie Irving on the Lakers

Brooklyn insists that talks are only preliminary at this point, but Chris Haynes’ report Saturday that the Nets and Lakers have discussed a Kyrie Irving trade only fueled what is already a widespread expectation that Irving is destined to end up with the Lakers. I certainly believe that, too. I know Irving has been in Los Angeles this week, but that’s not the source of my confidence. It stems from repeated rumbles in circulation that LeBron James is rooting hard for Irving’s addition to the roster. James, I’m told, wants to see Irving in Lakerland more than anyone. What other team, furthermore, has a LeBron-sized personality with the experience to cope with all the chaos that comes with adding Kyrie? James, remember, has often thrived in chaos.
Source: Marc Stein @ marcstein.substack.com

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
If it ends up being Kyrie+Harris for Westbrook+Nunn, I hope the Lakers sneak Wenyen Gabriel in there to create a roster spot.
Ideally, I’d want three left for the following:
– A point guard (Dennis Schroder?)
– A big (Thomas Bryant? Serge Ibaka?)
– A forward (Kessler Edwards?) – 5:16 PM Michael Dugat @mdug
I really just don’t want to find out the Mavs are actually in on Kyrie. – 3:50 PM Marc Stein @TheSteinLine
What’s next for KD and Kyrie (and thus LeBron) … plus a long look at the Jazz, West vs. East and much more … all via the latest This Week In Basketball column freshly dispatched worldwide: marcstein.substack.com/p/kd-kyrie-and… – 2:48 PM Dave Early @DavidEarly
Do the Jazz now have enough to just trade for KD, Kyrie, and Simmons? pic.twitter.com/W8dOs22qOZ – 2:06 PM Jeff Wade @SkinWade
And if I’m sending Kyrie to LA, the deal is this or nothing at all
And you can beat that with a baseball bat pic.twitter.com/5lIEdUdgNY – 1:59 PM LeBron James @KingJames
I 🙏🏾 for my city today! – 12:57 PM Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
If the Lakers pass on the Kyrie-Westbrook b/c they refuse to take back Joe Harris, who only has two relatively affordable years left on his contract and (assuming he’s healthy) would a perfect fit playing alongside LeBron – that’s would be major mistake – 11:48 AM Dave Early @DavidEarly
According to Shams, the Sixers are ‘suitors’ for Kyrie Irving. But @PaulHudrick reported Sunday the Sixers are ‘not actively pursuing’ Irving, and their odds of landing Gordon are low.
But they *should* be pursuing both.
bit.ly/3bMPSJE – 11:44 AM Austin Krell @NBAKrell
The idea of trading for Kyrie Irving is great until he does something that makes you remember why you ever had reservations about it in the first place. – 11:00 AM Steve Popper @StevePopper
Sunday Insider: Rejected by Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Knicks likely are better off newsday.com/sports/columni… via @Newsday – 10:32 AM Chris Sheridan @sheridanhoops
Amid the Kyrie Irving-Russell Westbrook trade talks report, odds on the #Lakers winning the 2022-23 championship have dropped roughly in half. Saw them at 24-1 three days ago. Seeing them at 11-1 to 13-1 this morning. #Nets now 36-1, gaining ground on #Knicks (120-1). – 10:05 AM Ryan McDonough @McDNBA
The most likely Kyrie/Westbrook trade (in my opinion)
Lakers – get Kyrie and Joe Harris
Nets – get Russ, Kendrick Nunn and draft compensation – 9:29 AM Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
GAME THEORY PODCAST: @FearTheBrown is here! We do a deep dive on the first 2.5 days of free agency.
-Gobert trade!
-Russ for Kyrie?
-Brogdon trade!
-Free agency, including POR, NYK, MIL, GSW, more
-More KD trades
APPLE: https://t.co/hIOdTGnsom
WATCH: https://t.co/wS0FZWAP7o pic.twitter.com/DSAkffSASY – 8:55 AM Jon Johnson @jonjohnsonwip
Sixers & Kyrie Irving?
@Shams Charania pic.twitter.com/lABNQJ0UcQ – 8:28 AM Emiliano Carchia @Sportando
Lakers, Nets discussing Kyrie Irving-Russell Westbrook trade
sportando.basketball/en/lakers-nets… – 2:17 AM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Putting aside the Harden beef, I sort of think the Sixers would’ve just traded Ben Simmons for Kyrie Irving like nine months ago if he was someone they were really interested in. – 11:24 PM Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
GAME THEORY PODCAST: Free Agency/Trades Deep Dive with @FearTheBrown!
-Gobert Trade
-Kyrie for Russ?
-Brogdon trade!
-Brunson, 76ers, Blazers,
-More KD trade speculation!
GOING LIVE NOW: https://t.co/EoI3MTeT0h pic.twitter.com/tEg6zg3lNq – 11:18 PM Eric Patten @EricPatten
All of the “Lakers are getting Kyrie” panic tweeters: it’s been five years since Kyrie didn’t either get hurt or flame out of the postseason, AD is coming off lower leg injuries in back to back seasons, and I’m pretty sure LeBron turns 50 during this year – 10:45 PM Ryan McDonough @McDNBA
Me – when I realized Kyrie couldn’t be traded for Westbrook straight up because the Nets need to send out more money to make the deal work pic.twitter.com/0fmqDK7ZHV – 10:44 PM Mark Deeks @MarkDeeksNBA
So according to the current news cycle, Russell Westbrook might be rejoining Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, however briefly, and Kyrie Irving might be rejoining James Harden in Philadelphia. Yeahhhhh, it’s bed time. – 10:41 PM Ryan Blackburn @NBABlackburn
Now, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope went to Los Angeles
Then, LeBron James went to Los Angeles
And we know that Anthony Davis went to Los Angeles
And JR Smith went to Los Angeles
And now Lonnie Walker IV went to Los Angeles
Why would the Lakers do that? pic.twitter.com/Qt1323GJf6 – 9:32 PM Ryan Ward @RyanWardLA
It’s pretty crazy to think that the Nets went from having three legit superstars (KD, Kyrie, Harden) to potentially having none before the start of next season.
A superstar trio that scared the rest of the league to a potential rebuild. NBA is wild these days! – 9:05 PM Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Lakers, Nets reportedly “actively engaged” in Irving for Westbrook trade talks nba.nbcsports.com/2022/07/02/lak… – 8:39 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Where do we think Russell Westbrook goes if he’s bought out by Brooklyn in a Kyrie Irving trade?
Washington would’ve been my guess before Morris and Wright. Dallas as a low-minutes backup with their spacing bigs beside him? Maybe Charlotte because of the Jordan connection? – 8:17 PM StatMuse @statmuse
3-pointers in the last 2 seasons:
252 — Kyrie
168 — Westbrook + Simmons pic.twitter.com/0wDRnUropa – 8:07 PM Tommy Beer @TommyBeer
Going from KD, Kyrie and Harden to Ben Simmons, Russ Westbrook and Royce O’Neal in the span of six months is, um… not great
#ScaryHours – 8:04 PM Fred Katz @FredKatz
If Durant gets traded, they may never step in the same locker room; they may never cross paths at the practice facility. I don’t know what BKN would decide with Westbrook. But if a Russ-for-Kyrie deal happens first, for a brief, fleeting moment Russ & KD would be back together. – 7:55 PM Austin Krell @NBAKrell
Wait wait wait…the Lakers think they’re in a position to ask for more in a trade for Kyrie?? – 7:49 PM Chris Haynes @ChrisBHaynes
The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are actively engaged in trade discussions centered on a Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Irving package, league sources tell @YahooSports: sports.yahoo.com/sources-lakers… – 7:39 PM Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers
ICYMI, Friday’s @LockedOnLakers podcast! We react to free agency so far with the Lakers, and the latest rumors linking Kyrie (and even KD???) to L.A. @LockedOnNetwork @LockedOnNBAPods
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lak… – 6:29 PM Steve Popper @StevePopper
Popper: Rejected by Kyrie, KD, Knicks better off
Duo would have brought talent and headaches to Madison Square Garden. newsday.com/sports/columni… – 6:28 PM Jovan Buha @jovanbuha
The Lakers added youth and athleticism this week. This roster makes more sense than last season’s.
But size (only four players above 6-6) and 3-point shooting (only LeBron shot better than the league average 3PT% last season) remain notable deficiencies: theathletic.com/3395994/2022/0… – 12:38 PM David Hardisty @clutchfans
Seven teams in the West look like strong playoff bets: Phoenix, Golden State, LA Clippers, Memphis, Denver, Dallas and likely Minnesota.
New Orleans will be better. Lakers have LeBron/AD. Portland, Sacramento want in badly. TBD on Utah.
Very competitive in the West right now. – 5:02 PM Shandel Richardson @ShandelRich
David Fizdale, LeBron and Heat Culture #miamiheat si.com/nba/heat/miami… – 4:04 PM Jorge Sierra @hoopshype
This is shaping up to be the best non-LeBron offseason in recent history. – 4:03 PM Brad Turner @BA_Turner
Worked with My dude ⁦@Dan Woike⁩ for this in ⁦@latimessports⁩ on: Kyrie Irving still in the Lakers’ picture to rejoin LeBron James latimes.com/sports/lakers/… – 1:04 PM Mark Medina @MarkG_Medina
Lots to get into on the Lakers and possibly getting Kyrie Irving and reuniting him with LeBron James. I’ll discuss that & more on @NBATV with @NabilKarimTV, @Greg Anthony & Ryan McDonough. Tune in at 9:30 am PT on.nba.com/32wcN7b – 12:01 PM Dan Favale @danfavale
the timestamps for the latest @HardwoodKnocks look like lebron’s ig stories (flipped vertically) pic.twitter.com/OERg1qiXoi – 4:38 AM StatMuse @statmuse
Players to average 25/5/5 in a season before turning 23:
Oscar Robertson
Michael Jordan
Tracy McGrady
LeBron James
Luka Doncic
Ja Morant. pic.twitter.com/QfvuAIjxKr – 12:10 AM David Locke @DLocke09
Maybe LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh deserve more credit for holding their super team together since every other “super” team has at some point been a dumpster fire – 10:57 PM Sam Amick @sam_amick
Does the Kevin Durant trade request in Brooklyn give a Kyrie Irving-LeBron James reunion in Laker Land new life? All the answers here, with @Jovan Buha, at @TheAthletic
theathletic.com/3394038/2022/0… – 9:39 PM Micah Adams @MicahAdams13
Lakers on current roster:
7 – Klutch clients
6 – non-Klutch clients
LeBron, AD, THT, JTA, Nunn, Brown Jr., Lonnie Walker
That doesn’t include Summer League guys like Scotty Pippen Jr. – 8:51 PM StatMuse @statmuse
JaVale McGee has played with some elite talent:
LeBron James
Anthony Davis
Steph Curry
Klay Thompson
Draymond Green
Kevin Durant
Nikola Jokic
Devin Booker
Chris Paul
Dirk Nowitzki
And now, Luka Doncic. pic.twitter.com/JW2sI7Cnb8 – 7:51 PM Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS
Lonnie Walker’s defensive metrics last season:
D-RAPTOR: -1.8
D-EPM: -0.8
D-LEBRON: -1.85
DRPM: -4.79 (119th out of 123 SGs)
So… yea… he needs to work on his defense. But he’s athletic and he has a 6’10” wingspan, so maybe that’s fixable. – 7:38 PM Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA
LAL roster:
Troy Brown Jr.
Anthony Davis
Wenyen Gabriel
Talen Horton-Tucker
LeBron James
Stanley Johnson
Damian Jones
Kendrick Nunn
Austin Reaves
Lonnie Walker IV
Russell Westbrook
4 roster spots to fill. Minimum Exception is all they have left. 1 spot will go to Max Christie. – 7:07 PM Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria
Now on @njdotcom
NBA rumors: Kyrie Irving wants to re-join LeBron James with the Lakers ‘as soon as he possibly can’ nj.com/sports/2022/06… – 5:20 PM Chris Mannix @SIChrisMannix
A team with young talent, a cache of draft picks and a GM unafraid to take big swings: Minnesota. ‘Wolves won’t be on Durant’s wish list, but I’m interested to see if Tim Connelly, who once eyed LeBron in Denver, gets into the mix. – 4:22 PM Barry Jackson @flasportsbuzz
One of many things affecting Heat’s Durant chances – and this organization lives for moments like this (Zo, Shaq, LeBron) – is whether Ayton would be agreeable to go to Brooklyn. If not, Heat could put together better offer, even without Bam. – 4:08 PM Nick Wright @getnickwright
LeBron & AD, PG13 & Kawhi, and KD & Kyrie teamed up in the same Summer.
The Lakers have been largely pilloried by the media in this era. They also won a Championship.
Meanwhile, KD/Kyrie & Kawhi/PG13 played a combined ZERO (0) Finals, or even Conference Finals, games together. – 3:31 PM StatMuse @statmuse
Durant playoff win% with Steph:
— 78.6%
Kyrie playoff win% with LeBron:
— 75.0%
Durant playoff win% with Kyrie:
— 46.2% pic.twitter.com/jzuyz7632n – 3:26 PM Matt Williams @StatsWilliams
Kevin Durant ranks 4th all-time in points per game and 1st among active players. He has averaged 25 points in every season of his career except his rookie year.
Most Career PPG
Michael Jordan: 30.1
Wilt Chamberlain: 30.1
Elgin Baylor: 27.4
Kevin Durant: 27.2
LeBron James: 27.1 – 3:24 PM

More on this storyline

Keith Smith: Talking to some folks around the NBA, it sounds like some of the better free agents on the board are waiting to see what happens with KD and Kyrie trades. One agent told me: “Some teams might need to fill a lot of rotation minutes after a trade. We can be patient for now.” -via Twitter @KeithSmithNBA / July 3, 2022 Nick Wright: Not sure what’s been reported elsewhere this morning, but I can report definitively that the Sixers are not and have not been engaged in trade talks for Kyrie this offseason. There’s no appetite for him in Philly. The Lakers are the Nets only current suitor. -via Twitter @getnickwright / July 3, 2022 ClutchPoints: While Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving trade rumors swirl, Ben Simmons’ Instagram has just been deactivated   -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / July 3, 2022 James Boyd: I asked Bennedict Mathurin about his viral LeBron James quote in @Ben Golliver’s story (https://t.co/6H5NP11nGy): “I think he’s the best player to ever play the game. … But me just coming into the league, I won’t say anybody’s better than me. That’s me being confident.” #Pacers pic.twitter.com/v1i8cQa2ke -via Twitter @RomeovilleKid / July 1, 2022 With the Brooklyn Nets about to blow up their roster in the wake of Kevin Durant’s trade demand Thursday, Kyrie Irving appears on his way out the door, too. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith reported on air Thursday that Irving wants to re-join LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers “as soon as he possibly can.” “He’s been telling people he wants to be in L.A., he’s been telling people he wants to wear the same uniform that Kobe Bryant once wore,” Smith said. -via Newark Star-Ledger / June 30, 2022 Clutch Points: “They could contend, but they won’t beat us.” 🗣️ Draymond Green on a possible Kyrie Irving/LeBron James reunion with the Lakers (via @lucas_shaw) pic.twitter.com/L2OGMYcwVd -via Twitter @ClutchPointsApp / June 26, 2022