The Los Angeles Lakers want to make a big splash this offseason. While Kyrie Irving is available, he’s not the only guard they’re looking at.
Irving has become hard to attain, especially for a team so limited in assets and cap space like the Lakers. The Nets have no use for Russell Westbrook, and Rob Pelinka is hesitant to give up too many first-round picks down the road.
So, assuming Irving isn’t available, what should LA do? Surely running it back with LeBron, Anthony Davis and Westbrook won’t do. Both James and Davis are injury-prone at this point in their careers. Westbrook, meanwhile, has little to no value on a contender.
On The Lowe Post, Dave McMenamin identified two potential backup plans for the Lake Show.
“They have interest in Eric Gordon and Buddy Hield, perhaps in addition to Kyrie and the piece that would have to be moved in order to get that done would be Talen Horton-Tucker. But, it could also end up being the Plan B if they can’t get this Kyrie situation to come to bear…”
What if the Lakers fail to land Kyrie Irving?
If LA fails to trade for Irving, it would represent just the latest in a long line of players they haven’t been able to deliver on. While LeBron got them a ring, he’s wasting the end of his career in the City of Angels, at least the last two seasons.
The Lakers have tried to trade for Hield before, but to no avail, as the Kings wouldn’t budge. Gordon is a new name thrown into the mix, and could help LA whether they deal for Irving or not.
The goal of acquiring these guards is two-fold — Los Angeles can trade for them in addition to Irving, or instead of Irving if they can’t meet the Nets demands.