After making no moves at the NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers, currently a middle-tier team, are already generating rumors about pursuing star players in the offseason. Among the names mentioned is Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, and the cost for such a pursuit could be substantial.
Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports, “The Lakers intend to use the three draft picks available to them this summer — 2031, 2029, and either 2024 or 2025, depending on which pick the New Orleans Pelicans choose to take as part of the Anthony Davis trade in 2019 — to acquire a star player via trade.”
Buha also notes that “three potential targets are Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, and Kyrie Irving, according to team and league sources. The Athletic has previously highlighted the franchise’s interest in Young and Irving.”
Irving has been repeatedly linked to the Lakers over recent years. Interestingly, he has also tried to recruit LeBron James to join him in Dallas. While the offer of three first-round picks might be tempting for the Mavericks, who have limited draft capital for the foreseeable future, trading away Luka Doncic’s co-star after recently adding key players like P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford seems unlikely.
Despite Los Angeles’ appeal as a city, the Mavericks’ basketball prospects currently look more promising than the Lakers’. Dallas has two superstars surrounded by a talented young roster, positioning them for immediate success.
Though situations can change over the next 30 games, the idea of LeBron James moving to Dallas to pursue another championship alongside Doncic and Irving appears more plausible than trying to win with Irving and a depleted Lakers roster.
