Report: Nets centered on dealing Durant before Irving

The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets have discussed making a major blockbuster trade this offseason as each groups have massive-identify issue guards they’re seeking to flip. The Lakers are hoping to trade Russell Westbrook, who is owed $47 million and coming off his worst period as a professional. On the other facet, the Nets want to move Kyrie Irving, who just missed the bulk of the 2021-22 year due to the fact of his refusal to comply with New York City’s vaccine mandate. Both equally players are established for unrestricted free of charge company upcoming summer months, and both of those would possibly reward from a change of scenery. 

So far, even though, talks amongst the Lakers and Nets have not progressed pretty far, but they are not wholly dead, according to Adrian Wojnarowski. Immediately after all, you will find nonetheless a lot of offseason remaining. Nonetheless, Wojnarowski states Irving’s upcoming in Brooklyn mostly depends on what takes place with Kevin Durant, who asked for a trade very last month as the Nets are centered on resolving the Durant circumstance just before they transform their attention to Irving. 

“There is a very good likelihood Kyrie Irving is again in Brooklyn to commence the year if Kevin Durant is back in Brooklyn,” Wojnarowski claimed on Monday.  

Durant has 4 several years remaining on his current agreement, so the Nets have the leverage to take their time. As significantly as they might want to transfer on from Irving, undertaking so before they shift Durant would make it practically extremely hard for them to contend for a title in the event they wind up keeping the 2014 MVP. 

The Lakers have two tradable first-round picks: just one in 2027 and another in 2029. The Lakers have been resistant to include things like them in trade negotiations, but a participant of Irving’s caliber may signify an exception. Talking of hesitance, the Nets would choose not to consider again Westbrook in a achievable offer since of his exorbitant cap determine. The $11 million salary hole between the two place guards would cost Brooklyn around $50 million with luxury taxes factored in in advance of thinking about the economical implications of a doable Durant trade. The San Antonio Spurs, with over $30 million in cap space, have been stated as a doable third workforce to acquire on Westbrook so that the Nets wouldn’t have to.

The Lakers have reportedly mulled discounts with the Indiana Pacers (for Buddy Hield) and Houston Rockets (for Eric Gordon) to include capturing, but the two players have substantially reduce cap figures than Westbrook. Indiana could bridge that hole by including middle Myles Turner, whom the Lakers have extensive coveted, but according to Marc Stein, they possible will not likely have the assets to land both of those Turner and Hield. Many stories have suggested that LeBron James terribly desires Irving to sign up for him in Los Angeles.

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Still. until eventually the Durant condition is resolved, the Nets have no reason to hurry. If a Durant trade comes, the Lakers should be able to make an Irving trade only mainly because the Nets would no more time have any reason to keep him. For now, however, the ball is in Brooklyn’s court.