When Kevin Durant requested a trade out of Brooklyn, the speculation about Kyrie Irving's status with the Nets jumped to another level.
The seven-time All-Star, who exercised his player option ($36.5 million) for the 2022-23 campaign, played a central role in the Nets' dysfunctional season, which ended in a first-round sweep against the Celtics. Despite his immense talent, there hasn't been much of a market for Irving outside of one interested team: the Lakers.
Los Angeles is also coming off a disappointing season and clearly needs to make roster upgrades in order to re-emerge as a championship contender. Early in free agency, it seemed as though the Lakers' acquisition of Irving was inevitable, but halfway through July, he is still a member of the Nets.
Why haven't Brooklyn and Los Angeles been able to finalize a deal? One major issue is the Lakers' lack of intriguing trade assets.
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What the Lakers can trade for Kyrie Irving
Available players
Troy Brown Jr., Thomas Bryant, Max Christie, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Lonnie Walker IV can't be traded because of signing restrictions.
While LeBron James and Anthony Davis can be traded, the entire point of adding Irving would be to form a trio capable of leading the Lakers to a championship, so they can be scratched off the list.
Russell Westbrook is the player most likely to be involved in an Irving trade, as he clearly was a poor fit next to James and Davis.
| Player | 2022-23 salary |
| Russell Westbrook | $47,063,478 |
| LeBron James | $44,474,988 |
| Anthony Davis | $37,980,720 |
| Talen Horton-Tucker | $10,260,000 |
| Kendrick Nunn | $5,250,000 |
| Stanley Johnson | $2,351,521 |
| Wenyen Gabriel* | $1,878,720 |
| Austin Reaves* | $1,563,518 |
*Non-guaranteed contracts
Available draft picks
The Lakers have limited draft capital available to include in a trade.
- 2027 first-round pick
- 2028 first-round pick
- 2029 first-round pick
It's worth noting that Los Angeles can't trade back-to-back first-round picks because of the Stepien Rule. If the Lakers must include multiple first-round picks in order to get a deal across the finish line, they would trade the 2027 and 2029 first-rounders.
Kyrie Irving trade rumors: Why haven't Nets, Lakers completed deal?
The sticking point here appears to be draft picks. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto recently broke down the stalemate:
Currently, the Lakers don't want to give up multiple first-round picks to trade Russell Westbrook, league sources told HoopsHype. In the speculated blockbuster trade of Westbrook and Irving, the Nets would likely want a first-round pick to move Irving and take on Westbrook. The Nets would likely want an additional first-rounder to entice another team like the Spurs or Pacers to take Westbrook as the third team in a deal.
Both teams can make fair arguments about draft pick compensation. The Nets would be taking on Westbrook and his massive salary, so those picks should be attached to him. The Lakers are the only team interested in Irving, so they shouldn't compete against themselves.
Will Brooklyn or Los Angeles eventually bend in negotiations? Stay tuned.