The Los Angeles Lakers are fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the NBA Playoffs. They are currently a half-game out of the final spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament in the congested Western Conference standings. Only 3.5 games separate them from the fourth-place Phoenix Suns in a race that will surely go right down to the final days of the season.
While that is where all of the team’s focus is currently, there have been some people discussing what the future may hold for the franchise. The Lakers made multiple moves ahead of the trade deadline to bolster their team not only for this season but with an eye toward the future as well.
D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, Mo Bamba and Rui Hacimura are all 27 years of age or younger. That is a drastic change in roster management from last year when Rob Pelinka filled out the rotation and bench with older veterans, most of whom aren’t even on an NBA team currently.
The elephant in the room, when it comes to roster building this offseason, is Kyrie Irving. Los Angeles was one of the only teams connected to him when he made canvassed the league during the 2022 summer for a new team and following his trade request in February.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Irving ended up being traded to the Dallas Mavericks, but speculation ran rampant that he could still end up with the Lakers. But, that is a rumor that looks like it can be put to rest. As recently shared by The Athletic, they are unlikely to pursue the mercurial point guard this offseason in free agency.
Part of the reason that their plans have changed is that they want to run it back with the players they currently have. There is a good mix of players around LeBron James and Anthony Davis; the only thing holding them back is health.
Punting on all of those acquisitions for the chance to add Irving would certainly be risky. The rights to Russell and Hachimura would have to be renounced, while the team option on Beasley would need to be declined. Vanderbilt and Bamba would have to be waived as well to get close to the max number that Irving is seeking.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kyrie Irving, Dallas Mavericks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
While there is no debate about how impactful Irving is as a player on the court, those would be a lot of hurdles to jump through. Is saying goodbye to that many key rotation pieces worth bringing Irving on for? The answer is very likely a resounding no.
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