The hype surrounding Kyrie Irving isn’t going away.
Whether discussing his off-the-court interests, theories, or existence on the floor, the eight-time All-Star is a regular in weekly news cycles.
Irving, although being a member of the Dallas Mavericks, is always identified with your Los Angeles Lakers. The connection to LeBron James is evident, as is the history of superstars donning purple and gold.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report did nothing to quell the rumors about Irving’s future in Dallas.
Bailey wrote an article on Sunday predicting one transaction for every NBA move a month before the regular season began. Unsurprisingly, the Lakers were involved in a transaction with a well-known name.
Bailey proposed a trade that would send Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, and a 2029 first-round selection to Dallas in exchange for the erratic Irving.
Bailey elaborated on the agreement:
“In May, the Dallas Mavericks reportedly had “no interest” in trading for D’Angelo Russell, but he was signed to a very movable contract by the Los Angeles Lakers.” And if the Dallas Mavericks disappoint for the second year in a row, whispers of a LeBron James-Kyrie Irving reunion will revive.”
This season, Irving’s base salary is little more than $37 million. Irving is expected to earn $40 million next year. The following year, a player option worth $42.9 million is available. Russell, interestingly, signed a one-year contract worth little more than $17 million this year. Hachimura also signed a three-year contract worth roughly $16 million.
In other words, if a trade is agreed upon, both of those contracts should allow the Lakers to acquire Irving. It’ll be interesting to see how the new-look Lakers fare this season. If they falter or get off to a bad start, speculation about an Irving trade will get louder and louder.
