Fans of the Los Angeles Lakers need to make peace with this fact: Kyrie Irving is not coming to the West Coast.
It was looking that way for the last few weeks, as reports from inside the Brooklyn Nets suggested that Irving was going to stick around.
When it was announced that Kevin Durant would remain in Brooklyn, Irving’s chances of going to LA this season completely vanished.
In other words: Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, you are Lakers https://t.co/3tvRCrmoIV
— Bryan Toporek (@btoporek) August 22, 2022
Thankfully for the Lakers, they had other plans in mind in case negotiating for Irving fell through.
Bryan Toporek nailed it on Twitter, plainly saying, “In other words: Buddy Hield and Myles Turner, you are Lakers.”
The loss of Irving doesn’t mean the Lakers are done making moves.
In fact, their offseason acquisitions might kick into overdrive now.
Lakers Move On
The Lakers thought they had a real chance of landing Irving and they were willing to give up a lot to get him.
But the front office also had some alternative moves in motion too, including trading for players like Hield and Turner.
Now that Irving is definitely going to stay in New York, the Lakers are free to explore Plans B, C, D, and beyond.
They knew that this offseason was very important to them, they needed to make changes and additions to avoid anything resembling last season.
So far, the team has definitely participated in some trades, but they haven’t created any blockbusters.
Trades for Hield and Turner wouldn’t be that explosive, but both of those guys could certainly beef up the team and fill the voids a bit.
There are many disappointed LA fans today, but they shouldn’t give up hope entirely.
The offseason isn’t done yet – and neither are the Lakers.