The Los Angeles Lakers are in a far better backcourt position than they were last December.
After the Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets, the franchise was without a viable point guard. Fortunately, Los Angeles promptly addressed the issue by trading for former Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.
Still, adding another perimeter-oriented piece to complement Doncic could be on the table for the 17-time NBA champions.
In a recent trade idea crafted by Athlon Sports’ Nathaniel Holloway, the Lakers would reunite Doncic and LeBron James with a 33-year-old NBA champion guard.
“(Kyrie) Irving may draw interest from multiple teams around the NBA ahead of the trade deadline despite him still not having a timetable for a return, though it has been reported that the Mavericks do have interest in keeping him on their roster if they do start a rebuild,” Holloway wrote Wednesday.
“While that may be the case, one team that could show interest in the star point guard is the Los Angeles Lakers, as they could try to reunite him with former teammates LeBron James and Luka Doncic.”
“In a potential trade, the Mavericks could send Irving to the Lakers in exchange for a package of Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jake LaRavia, and multiple first-round picks.”
Irving has had the luxury of competing alongside Doncic and James in the big leagues.
Irving joined Doncic and the Mavericks midway through the 2022-23 season via a blockbuster trade and didn’t disappoint. The 6-foot-2 offensive wizard frequently wreaked havoc alongside Doncic, helping the franchise reach the 2024 NBA Finals as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
However, Dallas ultimately chose to break up its dynamic guard duo by trading Doncic to the Lakers for Anthony Davis 10 months ago.
Regarding Irving’s partnership with James, the two aging superstars teamed in Cleveland (Cavaliers) for three seasons (2014-17) and won a championship in 2016 in dramatic fashion.
After falling to the Golden State Warriors in the 2017 NBA Finals, though, the Cavaliers traded Irving to the Boston Celtics, effectively ending the Irving-James era in Cleveland.
With Irving being involved in trade rumors this season and having valuable experience playing with Doncic and James on the big stage, the Lakers could bring the three standout contributors together before the Feb. 5 deadline.
There’s a good chance the former No. 1 overall pick will be on Los Angeles’ radar, at the very least.
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