Kevin Durant’s trade demand doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon, and Kyrie Irving rumors continue to swirl wildly around the NBA Twittersphere, usually with the Los Angeles Lakers as a targeted destination for the seemingly lost point guard. favor with his current franchise. A common potential trade involves Irving heading to the Lakers in exchange for a similar point guard, Russell Westbrook, in addition to one or both of the Lakers’ available first-round picks (2027 and 2029). It appears, however, that this will not be enough to seal the deal. Rather than just future draft picks and/or young players, the Nets are looking for an established player who can provide immediate benefit to the roster, according to NBA reporter Marc Stein: “The Nets’ current stance, sources say, is that they are unwilling to send Irving in a trade if the deal only brings back future assets. They apparently want win-now talent in exchange for parting with Irving, despite all the turmoil that he’s been eating up the Nets for months.” At this point in his career, Westbrook is widely viewed as an undervalued asset who might even be a buyout candidate after any potential deal — not someone you bring in to bolster your team. Check the opt-in box to confirm you want to join.
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Since the Lakers don’t really have a desirable player outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, a third team would need to be added to facilitate the Irving-LA deal if the Nets maintain their current stance. Stein also notes that Brooklyn’s perception of an Irving trade could waver if it can pull off a deal for Durant that significantly changes the roster. Brooklyn has been incredibly patient with the Durant situation, so there’s no reason to think they’ll settle for anything less than their dream scenario for Irving… for now, at least. For the Lakers, who just signed James to a two-year extension, they must make significant changes to their roster if they are to compete in an incredibly strong Western Conference this season. Irving seems like a logical fit in Los Angeles given his ability to not only act as a secondary playmaker but also serve as a much-needed off-ball shooter alongside James and Davis. For now, however, it appears the Lakers simply don’t have what the Nets want in exchange for a player of Irving’s caliber.
