Last season was more complicated than predicted for the Nets. With <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-rumors-the-reason-why-nets-wouldnt-trade-kyrie-irving-to-lakers-2561-20220820-SPD-2561.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kyrie Irving</a> out for months, the team struggled to get results. But even when he got back, Brooklyn had to go through the Play-In Tournament.



Though they managed to secure the seventh seed, it didn’t take long for the Nets’ aspirations to be over. Steve Nash‘s team was swept by the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/we-have-been-overrated-celtics-owner-wyc-grousbeck-2788-20220919-SPD-2788.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Celtics</a> in the first round, a defeat that continues to make noise in Brooklyn.



Since then, the team went through a lot of trouble – with Kevin Durant almost leaving the organization this offseason. However, Irving recently revealed that they could actually learn a lot from that elimination.



<h2>Kyrie Irving calls brutal loss to Celtics a ‘humbling experience’</h2>



(Via Fadeaway World)



“Since we got 4-0’d, my G, we got 4-0’d… It was meant to happen like that. Motivation, bro. We needed that humbling experience, especially going against the Celtics. You know, it was already built in to be that matchup,” Irving said. 



“We gonna see them again. We gonna have to. They gonna be where they gonna be but those youngins over there in Boston bro, I got to see them grow up. So to see them doing what they did last year, on the Finals stage, making it that far, I’m glad they had to go through us.”

NBA News: Kyrie Irving opens up on Nets' brutal loss to Celtics last season - thesportsdrops NEWS

NBA News: Kyrie Irving opens up on Nets' brutal loss to Celtics last season

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Following one of their worst campaigns, if not the worst, in recent years, the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/report-russell-westbrook-will-opt-into-47m-option-to-return-to-the-lakers-1842-20220628-SPD-1842.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Los Angeles Lakers</a> head into the 2022-23 NBA season aiming to get back to prominence.



<a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/new-lakers-coach-darvin-ham-content-with-current-roster-in-spite-of-recent-trade-rumors-2112-20220710-SPD-2112.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Darvin Ham</a> has taken the reins of the team after the firing of Frank Vogel, and he has a lot of work to do. Though he’s expected to get the best out of his players, it became clear that this roster needs changes.



In the wake of Kevin Durant‘s trade request, the future of Kyrie Irving could be out of Brooklyn as well. Therefore, the Lakers have been mentioned as <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-rumors-lakers-and-nets-actively-exploring-russell-westbrook-kyrie-irving-trade-1969-20220703-SPD-1969.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a potential landing spot</a> since then. But according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, they will not limit their options to Irving.



<h2>Lakers are not limiting their trade targets to Kyrie Irving</h2>



“I think the Lakers will make a deal, maybe more than one deal. It may not be for Kyrie Irving, it may not be for an All-NBA player, an All-Star, but players like Eric Gordon in Houston, and Buddy Hield in Indiana,” Woj said, via Fadeaway World.



“It’s not completely dead with Brooklyn, but so much depends on what happens with Kevin Durant. The Nets are more focused on trying to find a deal for KD before they’d move Kyrie Irving. I don’t think the Lakers are done. They are trying to find deals that allow them to improve without gassing all of their assets.”

NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers have other targets besides Kyrie Irving - thesportsdrops NEWS

NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers have other targets besides Kyrie Irving

<a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-news-shannon-sharpe-wants-lebron-james-kyrie-irving-to-join-forces-again-1692-20220621-SPD-1692.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kyrie Irving</a> and <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/report-russell-westbrook-will-opt-into-47m-option-to-return-to-the-lakers-1842-20220628-SPD-1842.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Russell Westbrook</a> might be swapped in a deal between the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/nba-rumors-nets-seeking-to-secure-a-deal-for-kevin-durant-after-star-requests-trade-1907-20220630-SPD-1907.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brooklyn Nets</a> and <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/no-lakers-stay-malik-monk-agrees-two-year-19-million-deal-with-kings-1912-20220630-SPD-1912.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Los Angeles Lakers</a>, according to Chris Haynes. Other elements would need to be engaged, but there is ‘palpable confidence’ that the two parties may reach an agreement this summer.



According to Haynes, the Nets are interested in signing sharpshooting guard Joe Harris, who will be paid $38.6m over the next two years. However, rather than taking on Harris’ deal, the Lakers want the Nets to part with Seth Curry.



This week, both Irving and Westbrook exercised their player options, but now the two parties must work out a salary agreement. Both Irving and Westbrook have contracts worth $36.5 million and $47 million, respectively, for the next season. The Nets are also looking for draft compensation as part of the agreement.



<h2>Which team might be the winner of the trade?</h2>



Following the Nets’ acceptance of Kevin Durant’s request for a trade, Irving has selected the last year of a contract worth $36.4 million. However, it is expected that he could be dealt with soon afterward, as per Brian Windhorst.



The Lakers have nothing to lose. With LeBron James and Kyrie Irving having previously worked together for the Cavaliers, Irving is the team’s greatest opportunity to acquire more leadership this summer.

NBA Rumors: Lakers and Nets actively exploring Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Irving trade - thesportsdrops NEWS

NBA Rumors: Lakers and Nets actively exploring Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Irving trade

<a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/when-could-lebron-james-and-his-son-bronny-play-together-in-the-nba-201-20220503-SPD-201.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LeBron James</a> and <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/top-3-best-point-guards-of-all-time-in-nba-107-20220502-SPD-107.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kyrie Irving</a> may have been reunited in Los Angeles had a trade between the <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers-rings-how-many-nba-championships-have-the-lakers-won-86-20220502-SPD-86.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lakers</a> and <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/which-is-the-most-valuable-nba-team-176-20220503-SPD-176.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nets</a> took place, according to reports.



To a recent source from SNY‘s Ian Begley, “the Lakers pondered chasing” Irving earlier this season when the Nets benched him for refusing to be vaccinated for COVID-19.



After Mayor Eric Adams adjusted vaccine requirement limits for athletes and entertainers, Irving was permitted to return to Barclays Center for games in late March after first resuming road games in January.



<h2>How the idea of Irving-James reunion came up</h2>



When Irving and James won the NBA title with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, Irving demanded a trade and ended up in Boston, where he signed with the Celtics for two seasons before joining the Nets together with <a href="https://news.thesportsdrop.com/nba/kevin-durant-profile-what-is-durants-height-and-weight-255-20220503-SPD-255.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kevin Durant</a>. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“Several outlets, including SNY, reported that the Nets had been open to talking to teams about potential Irving trades during that time. Obviously, nothing came to fruition. But some members of the Lakers organization discussed the possibility of trading for Irving during that stretch of the season, sources say. The deal would have obviously reunited Irving with LeBron James. It’s unclear if the Lakers reached any internal consensus on Irving at the time.”<cite>Ian Begley from SYN</cite></blockquote>

Kyrie Irving

NBA News: Kyrie Irving opens up on Nets' brutal loss to Celtics last season

NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers have other targets besides Kyrie Irving

NBA Rumors: Lakers and Nets actively exploring Russell Westbrook-Kyrie Irving trade

NBA News: Lakers contemplated reuniting Kyrie Irving with LeBron James

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