Kyrie Irving

Part of the fallout from Kevin Durant’s trade request is, what will happen with Kyrie Irving? Irving canvassed the league earlier in the offseason when trying to figure out what to do with his player option. When no good opportunities arose, he opted in to his contract for the 2022-23 season.

Irving engaged in a game of chicken with the Nets and lost, as they called his bluff. He is no longer eligible for the long-term deal he was seeking, but he may ultimately still be on the move this offseason.

There are reports that Irving wants to remain with the Nets whether Durant is there or not. That can be taken with a grain of salt, as it very well could be some posturing being done so that the Nets are painted in a less desperate light when it comes to wanting to trade Irving.

Based on everything that has been shared, there is really only one team that has shown any real interest in Irving and that is the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James would like to team up with him once again and the feeling was reportedly mutual.

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However, the Nets aren’t going to do him any favors. Unless the Lakers can present a package that meets their asking price, he won’t be ending up in Los Angeles. A team to keep an eye on could be the Dallas Mavericks, who might be desperate enough to upgrade their backcourt after Jalen Brunson departed in free agency that they would take a chance on Irving.

They are the only team other than the Lakers who may try and acquire the mercurial point guard, but ultimately, he will end up in Los Angeles.