Superstar forward Kevin Durant caused waves in the basketball world when he announced Thursday his request for a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. The news teased many possibilities for the next chapter of KD's remarkable career.
One of the possibilities was the possible teaming up of the, arguably, two best players in the NBA if ever Durant decides to move to the Los Angeles Lakers to play with LeBron James. That would make an unstoppable duo.
And then there are the efforts by the Lakers to acquire superstar guard Kyrie Irving. Just imagine what if LA was able to get KD and Kyrie to team up with James and Anthony Davis, that Lakers team would surely be a title contender for the next season, at least on paper.
Big Four in LA Next Season?
But the question: is that really possible?
Do not bank on it, say Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic. One source told the publication that the chances of the Lakers including Anthony Davis in a deal for Kevin Durant are "zero," and without Davis, they would lack the necessary assets to acquire KD.
But that does not imply that the Lakers would just stop there. They are merely keeping an eye on Kyrie Irving. Since the Lakers have been pursuing the superstar guard since before he decided to sign his contract, a deal centered around Russel Westbrook and several first-round picks in the future seems to be a possibility.
Considering that the Brooklyn Nets is not attempting to forge a title-contender squad, the trade deal that initially seemed insufficient feels much closer.
The Lakers Really Wants Kyrie
Now that Westbrook's contract is about to expire, the possibility of a blockbuster trade is probable. If they can provide enough assets in exchange, such as draft selections, prospects, or players from different clubs, it might be enough to get Irving to join the Lakers and reunite with LeBron James, especially if he's pressing for it.
Per Silverscreen and Roll, the Lakers might benefit more from Irving, a seven-time All-Star, especially on the scoring end. Irving has a career field goal percentage of 39.3 % and has made at least 40 % of his attempts in five of the last six seasons.
The purple and gold needs to improve in one area of their game from last season: their outside shooting. The front office looks at the fact that the team has few dependable players who could consistently make 3-pointers this offseason.
The Lakers expect that signing Irving will significantly improve their scoring, and it's also possible that players like Seth Curry or Joe Harris may also be included in the future trade.
Though, according to a CBS Sports story, the situation of Kyrie Irving is unlikely to be resolved until Durant's issues have been addressed. If the Nets are unable to find an appealing trade for Durant, they may finally choose to keep him. Alternatively, if there is a team ready to trade for both of them at once, the Nets may look into that prospect.
For now, all these are just speculations. We just have to wait and see for nothing is assured unless it transpires.
