There will always be excitement surrounding Kyrie Irving.
The eight-time All-Star is a regular in weekly news cycles, whether it’s talking about his theories, hobbies, or life off the court.
Irving is always associated with your Los Angeles Lakers, even though he plays for the Dallas Mavericks. It’s easy to see the connection to LeBron James and the history of famous people wearing purple and gold.
Nothing was done by Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey to stop the rumors regarding Irving’s future in Dallas.
A month before the NBA regular season started, Bailey published a piece on Sunday in which he made one transaction prediction for each NBA move. The Lakers were obviously involved in a deal involving a household name.
Bailey suggested exchanging the unpredictable Irving for Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, and a 2029 first-round pick with Dallas.
Bailey went on to clarify the arrangement:
D’Angelo Russell was signed to a very flexible contract by the Los Angeles Lakers, but it was reported in May that the Dallas Mavericks had “no interest” in trading for him. Additionally, rumors of a LeBron James and Kyrie Irving reunion will resurface if the Dallas Mavericks disappoint for the second straight season.
Irving’s base pay for this season is just over $37 million. Irving should make $40 million in the upcoming year. A $42.9 million player option is available for the following year. Interestingly, Russell agreed to a one-year deal this year for just over $17 million. Hachimura also agreed to a roughly $16 million three-year contract.
Stated differently, both of those contracts ought to permit the Lakers to acquire Irving in the event that a trade is arranged. It will be intriguing to watch how the Lakers, in their new look, perform this season. The chatter about an Irving trade will intensify if they stumble or get off to a poor start.
