What would need to happen for the Lakers to trade for Kyrie Irving

2. The Lakers need to find a third team that will take Russell Westbrook and give the Nets real assets

This is the hardest part of the equation and in breaking down these trades there is one team that makes more sense than any other team in the league: the New York Knicks. The Knicks have fallen back into mediocrity and they should be resetting the roster by getting rid of Julius Randle’s contract and committing to building around R.J. Barrett.

A potential three-team trade would see Westbrook and two first-round picks (2027 unprotected and a 2028 pick swap) go to the Knicks. Julius Randle and Evan Fournier would go to the Nets and Kyrie Irving would go to the Lakers.

Randle and Fournier do not equal Kyrie Irving but if the Nets are not going to extend him and think he might walk anyway then the team might as well work with him to get some assets out of him in a trade.

The only problem with this is that the Knicks could absolutely talk themselves into trading for Irving. With LaVine there is the expectation that he would be forcing his way to LA. With Irving, the Knicks might just try trading Randle, Fournier and actual draft capital themselves to get him.

It would not be a smart move but the Knicks are superstar hungry and this would be a chance to get a superstar. They would probably be better in the long-term just resetting but it is hard to pass on a chance to get Kyrie.

There are other teams as well that might be willing to trade assets like this for Kyrie. It is totally conceivable that the Washington Wizards would pivot and trade Bradley Beal for Kyrie Irving and a pick or two.

That makes this much harder for the Los Angeles Lakers to pull off, but it is possible. Now whether or not it would be smart is another question.