Lakers’ reported stance on Kyrie Irving revealed

Apr 25, 2022; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving (11) reacts during the second quarter of game four of the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving may have interest in a reunion, but it does not sound like the Los Angeles Lakers are going to facilitate it.

The Lakers were viewed by many as the favorite to land Irving when the star point guard demanded a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. A deal never came together, and Irving wound up with the Dallas Mavericks. Now that Irving is set to become a free agent, there has been speculation that L.A. could try to sign him.

According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, the Lakers do not have interest in pursuing Irving. That has been their stance for months now, and Buha was told by multiple team sources on Monday that nothing has changed.

James stopped short of ruling out retirement after the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. There have since been numerous reports that the 38-year-old is legitimately contemplating his future. One theory is that LeBron could be trying to pressure the Lakers into acquiring Irving, but a source told Buha that is not the case.

Irving has apparently tried to sell LeBron on the idea of teaming up together with the Dallas Mavericks. James is under contract with the Lakers next season and has given no indication that he wants to play for another team.

If the Lakers did want to add Irving, there are paths to them creating the salary cap space needed to do so. They could also work out a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks. However, they likely feel that they can improve in other ways after they made an unexpected run to the Western Conference Finals.