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The week or so main as much as the NBA Draft ought to in all probability be renamed “mendacity season.” Gamers are vying for contracts, brokers are positioning their purchasers for conditions or draft slots, organizations are combating for leverage in commerce talks, and we’re all left to sift via the obfuscation — a phrase that can’t be spelled with out the letters “b” and “s.”
Kyrie Irving and his makes an attempt at getting the Brooklyn Nets to decide to him in methods he has outright refused to decide to them in three seasons looks like the newest instance of a participant mentioning the Lakers to ensure his staring contest makes headlines.
That stated, Irving is as unpredictable as he’s gifted, so that you simply by no means know. Possibly he does need to reunite with LeBron James to as soon as once more tackle the Warriors.
Oh and as all this is happening, the Lakers are on the point of attempt to purchase a second-round decide in Thursday’s NBA Draft. So yeah. Busy week.
In a jam-packed day of podcasting and over the course of three episodes, I welcomed my colleagues, Ricky O’Donnell and Aaron Larsuel, Dan Woike of the L.A. Occasions and former NBA participant Ekpe Udoh to meander round, over and thru all these subjects.
The Kyrie query is a troublesome one. On one hand, it’s borderline addition by subtraction if the Lakers are capable of commerce Russell Westbrook and Irving provides the best ceiling of any commerce targets who’re remotely doable. On the opposite, Irving has seemed for principally any and all alternatives to receives a commission to not play basketball.
And look, I take pleasure in limitless PTO as a lot as anybody, however in some unspecified time in the future, it’s worthwhile to show to employers and teammates you may be trusted with that freedom and Irving has not, flat out. If he decides to take one other random hiatus in the midst of the season, James and Anthony Davis (who’ve questions of their very own availability) could be on the hook to as soon as once more carry a ragtag group of buy-low candidates the Lakers hope may outplay their contracts.
If Irving is as keen as he’s been to tank a staff that employs one in every of his closest pals within the league, what kind of dedication will he make to James — somebody he’s already left behind just a few years in the past? These are questions the Lakers must attempt to discover solutions to and, sadly, gained’t have the ability to till they really make use of him.
What’s wild is even with all that stated, Irving is perhaps the Lakers’ greatest shot at successful one other championship with James. Personally, I’d somewhat use Westbrook’s contract to replenish the staff’s depth, however that comes with its personal set of dangers. Are you extra assured in Irving’s subsequent YouTube rabbit gap than you might be in Gordon Hayward or Malcolm Brogdon staying wholesome?
I actually don’t know! Nobody does!
On the finish of the day, the one purpose the Lakers actually have a shot at Irving is due to all these questions. If any of them had been remotely answerable, both Brooklyn would have already provided him a max extension or moved him to some determined staff caught at all-time low with little to no different choices at bettering whereas remaining on their present timeline. Oh shit.
You may take heed to the total episode beneath, and to be sure to by no means miss a present, subscribe to the Silver Display and Roll podcast feed on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher or Google Podcasts.
And for a short-form recap pod, take a look at Lakers Lowdown, by which Anthony Irwin recaps the day gone by’s information and will get you prepared for the day forward in LakerLand, each weekday morning on the Silver Display & Roll Podcast feed.
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