Grade the trade: Lakers add controversial star in proposed deal
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers avoided doing anything drastic this summer. There was a path where the Lakers could have spiced it up, made a big move, and went all-in with a third star. Some fans wanted that to happen, but most are happy with what the team did instead.
Los Angeles brought back last year’s core that led the team to the Western Conference Finals. Not only did the team keep the core intact but the front office was able to make savvy additions as well to make the roster even better. This is the most talented and deepest the roster has been since the 2020-21 season.
All that being said, the Lakers left the door open to make big moves during the season if need be. Los Angeles all but confirmed that D’Angelo Russell would be traded at some point with the contract that he signed. If things are not going well, the Lakers can pivot to something bigger.
If the Lakers do make a big trade they may get pressure from LeBron James to trade for Kyrie Irving
The Lakers were in the running for Kyrie Irving when he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks last season and he was connected to the team even before that. Add in the speculative rumors that Kyrie was recruiting LeBron to Dallas and it is clear that these two want to play together.
If the results are not where the Lakers want them to be at the trade deadline then we could see the team swing for the fences one last time to try and win a championship. In a perfect world, this roster would be good enough to dominate. But as NBA fans should know, a lot can change in four months.
So, what would an Irving trade actually look like? Let’s break down what a proper trade package would be before handing out grades to both teams in the process.