3 Ripple effects of the blockbuster Kyrie Irving trade on the Lakers
By Cal Durrett
The Lakers may get more aggressive ahead of the trade deadline.
After failing to trade for Irving, the Lakers could become more aggressive in the trade market. Los Angeles has been linked to several players in the lead-up to the trade deadline, and they may ramp up their pursuits after watching another West team get much better. Some of that pressure to improve may come from James, who is no doubt upset that his former teammate will end up on the same team as MVP candidate Luka Doncic.
All isn’t lost for the Lakers, who up until a couple of days ago weren’t even aware that Irving would be available. Now they can pivot back to the players that they were previously targeting. One sticking point remains, however: their two first-round picks.
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They were willing to trade them for Irving and another rotation player, but they may be unwilling to part with them for hauls from the San Antonio Spurs or the Utah Jazz. They’ll have to decide whether they really want to improve ahead of the deadline and how much they are actually willing to give up.