The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2021-22 NBA season will be remembered as one of the worst seasons in the franchise’s history. After all, they had a roster featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.
On paper, the team sounded pretty amazing, but in reality, that was far from the truth. For starters, their Big 3 played very few games together. Anthony Davis was injured for almost the entire season.
On the other hand, Russell Westbrook failed to adjust to his new role and the team. The only good thing about their season was an incredible season from LeBron James.
But that alone is not enough for the Lakers to win an NBA Championship next season. They need a good supporting cast around James and also to improve the bench depth.
Moreover, if they could trade Westbrook, it would not only free up a lot of cap space but also allow the Lakers to get a point guard whose playing style compliments LeBron’s.
One name that has constantly been linked to the Lakers has been Kyrie Irving. Irving and James have already played together for three seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and even won an NBA Championship together.
If the Lakers could trade for him, it would highly increase their chances of winning a ring next season. NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith has suggested that while Irving wants to join the Lakers, he will probably wait until next season to join as a free agent.
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