“Both sides know the other may not have anywhere to go in the interim” - NBA insider says LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets will do a dance over Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving will most likely leave the Brooklyn Nets this summer. Even after opting into the final year of his contract, the point guard's future in Brooklyn is uncertain.
Kevin Durant has requested a trade, which is why the Nets may try to go into full rebuilding mode next season. However, their asking price for Durant is high, and they may be looking for another superstar instead of rebuilding the team.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski believes that the Nets will not go towards a rebuild. Instead, they are looking to trade their star players for other great players. The NBA insider also thinks Irving could end up on the LA Lakers.
"I think there's a dance that the Nets and Lakers are gonna do over a period of time here and I do think there was a check-in between the two teams," Wojnarowski said.
Wojnarowski questioned the Lakers' willingness to include draft picks in a potential trade for Irving. However, he sounds optimistic about the potential trade.
Kyrie Irving may not be traded to the Lakers very soon
According to a report by Chris Haynes, who first reported the potential trade, the Brooklyn Nets are not in a hurry to trade Kyrie Irving.
Adrian Wojnarowski believes that the discussion about the trade could go well into the summer. The Brooklyn Nets will be looking for draft compensation, especially since they could potentially take on Russell Westbrook's huge contract.
"One of the big questions that would have to be answered in a Kyrie Irving-Lakers deal, and if Russell Westbrook is involved, how many draft picks would the Lakers be willing to give up?" Wojnarowski said.
The NBA insider added how neither team is in a rush, so the deal could take a while to be done. He also said that the Lakers' Rob Pelinka and the Nets' Sean Marks will be in Las Vegas for the Summer League, so the general managers could pick up the conversation there.
"I think both sides know the other may not have anywhere to go in the interim," Wojnarowski said. "So, I don't know if there is a rush for the two of them to sit down and really get moving."
The Nets are building a solid team
While it's unclear whether the Brooklyn Nets will manage to convince Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to stay, they are already preparing for next season.
According to a report by The Athletic's Shams Charania, the Nets are operating under the assumption that the two will be on the roster next season. That's why they are already making big moves.
Free agent TJ Warren has agreed to a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Adrian Wojnarowski also said how Brooklyn is trying to put together the best team possible. However, if the Nets end up trading their superstars, they want good players in return.
"They want to put together as good as a team as they can," Wojnarowski said. "This isn't a team that's looking at a Kevin Durant trade or a Kyrie Irving trade, that they are going to head toward a rebuild. They will get back good players."
The Nets signed T.J. Warren to a one-year contract earlier Thursday, and he could end up being a huge piece of the team. Even though he missed last season, Warren could be a great starter if he gets back to 100%.