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Lakers unlikely to acquire a player like Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated19 Jun 2023

Los Angeles Lakers unlikely to acquire a player like Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal

The Los Angeles Lakers were named as a potential landing spot for either Kyrie Irving or Bradley Beal. However, the new collective bargaining agreement will make it difficult for playoff teams to add players with larger contracts.

“The Lakers are considered very unlikely to acquire a player like Kyrie Irving or Bradley Beal,” said ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. “There’s no big game hunting out there for this Lakers’ organization.

“In this league right now, with a new collective bargaining agreement, you can’t really have three max superstars and expect to have any depth on your roster. It’s going to look a lot the same.”

According to a couple of NBA betting sites, the Lakers hold eighth-shortest odds to win next season’s championship in 2024. Sportsbooks are giving the Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, and Phoenix Suns better odds.


In February, Kyrie Irving and Markieff Morris were traded by the Brooklyn Nets to the Mavericks for Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a 2027 second-round draft pick, a 2029 first-round draft pick, and a 2029 second-rounder. Brooklyn also received trade exceptions.

Nonetheless, Irving is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. The eight-time All-Star just completed the final season of his four-year, $136.5 million contract he signed with Brooklyn in 2019. Based on his recent comments, the guard could very well sign a multi-year deal with Dallas.

Additionally, in 60 appearances of the 2022-23 season, Irving averaged 27.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 37.4 minutes per game. The 12-year veteran also shot 49.4% from the field and 37.9% beyond the arc. He scored a total of 1,623 points, marking his third highest-scoring season.

Los Angeles Lakers might avoid pursuing players like Kyrie Irving, Bradley Beal to help field a championship team around LeBron James

In Brooklyn’s 117-106 win over the Utah Jazz on Jan. 20, Irving scored a season-high 48 points in 39 minutes of action. Along with logging 11 boards, six assists, and four steals, the guard shot 18-of-29 (62.1%) from the floor and knocked down a season-high eight 3-pointers.

Meanwhile, Bradley Beal’s situation with the Washington Wizards is a bit more complicated. The three-time All-Star is owed $207,740,400 over the next four years. This amount is part of the five-year, $251.02 million max extension he signed with Washington last July.

Anthony Davis will earn $40,600,080 with the Lakers in the 2023-24 season. Of course, LeBron James is set to make $53,369,986 next season as well. G.M. Rob Pelinka will struggle to build a championship team around Davis and James if a third superstar is added into the mix. Sometimes, less is more.


Moreover, Beal will earn $46,741,590 in 2023-24, $50,203,930 in 2024-25, and $53,666,270 in 2025-26. The 11-year veteran also has a $57,128,610 player option for 2026-27. Not to mention, his max deal includes a no-trade clause and a 15% trade bonus.

Beal turns 30 in a couple of weeks. In 50 starts of the 2022-23 season, the guard averaged 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 33.5 minutes per game. Furthermore, the Florida product shot a career-best 50.6% from the field and 36.5% outside the arc.

Players like Yuta Watanabe or Joe Ingles would help the Lakers more than either Irving or Beal.

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