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Kyrie Irving is one of those first-class NBA free agents this summer, with the six-time All-Star and former No. 1 overall pick hitting the open market with a slew of other superstars that include the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Jimmy Butler and Kemba Walker, among others. And while there have been a ton of rumors about where any of these guys might end up, one of the juiciest scenarios includes Irving joining the Los Angeles Lakers — which would put him alongside former teammate LeBron James, with whom Kyrie won an NBA title with in 2016 as members of the Cleveland Cavs.
Unfortunately, for all those who want to see this happen, it might be time to get the idea out of your head. That’s because, according to an anonymous source who texted ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, there’s “no way in hell” Kyrie Irving signs with the Lakers. At least that’s the message that Stephen A. relayed on Monday morning’s First Take, per Bleacher Report.
“From what I’m told, it’s not going to happen. I got a text message from folks close to Kyrie’s family, within the hour, as we were teasing this subject. Quote: ‘There is no way in Hell he’s going to LA. I don’t give a damn what anybody says, knock that down for us right now please. He ain’t going to LA.’ That’s what they say.”
“From everything that I’ve been hearing over the last few days, Kyrie Irving is heading to New York City. Kyrie Irving is heading to Madison Square Garden with Kevin Durant. People in his inner circle are trying to bring the Nets into the mix, but clearly New York is the destination.”
Stephen A. Smith’s claim this morning about Kyrie Irving echoes what he said over the weekend, which was that, per his sources, there’s a “95 percent chance” that both Irving and Durant end up playing for the New York Knicks. Here’s what Smith tweeted a couple days ago.
Yes. From everything I’ve heard, KD and Kyrie are planning on coming to New York. 95% Chance they say! Only potential hiccup is KD changing his mind pic.twitter.com/9ezL7IEc3y
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) May 11, 2019
While Stephen A. Smith seems adamant that Kyrie Irving isn’t going to team up with James on the Lakers, his ESPN colleague, Brian Windhorst, seems to think a little bit differently. This is what Windhorst recently said during an ESPN Radio appearance, saying that there’s at least a possibility the two former teammates get together again — especially now that Irving apologized to James and seemed to bury the hatchet from their time together in Cleveland.
“I would’ve said that this is impossible for many months,” Windhorst said on ESPN radio. “But as time passes here and, as the possibility exists that Jason Kidd could be hired as the Lakers coach, I think the possibility of Kyrie and LeBron reuniting—that door, which was deadbolted, has been un-deadbolted and has now been cracked open,” he said. “It might even be opening more by the day. And I say that just because I think it’s on Kyrie’s radar, it’s on Kyrie’s board. He has had discussions with people about playing for the Lakers.”
To see the entire segment from First Take this morning about Kyrie Irving’s pending free agency and the unlikelihood of him joining the Lakers, take a look below.
Even with the NBA Playoffs going on and the conference finals about to tip-off, all anyone seems to want to talk about is the Lakers, along with where some of the biggest names in the sport could end up going this summer. Yep, it’s officially the silly season where rumors are going to fly all over the place, because nobody knows a damn thing for sure about what these guys are thinking.