Now starting at Point Guard, for the Los Angeles Lakers....Number 11....KYRIE IRVING *crowd boos* *one slightly overweight fan shits pants*.
Just when you thought we had heard the last of Kyrie before hopefully the playoffs. *record scratch* Kyrie requested a trade from the Nets today and told the team he preferred to be moved before next Thursdays trade deadline, because he will not be resigning with the team this coming off season. Kyrie does and says a lot of things that don't make sense, and although he is an asshole, it doesn't stop history from repeating itself.
Kyrie is due to be a free agent this off season and expecting to sign a max deal, if any team will give him one is still the question. Even though the NBA hands out super max contracts like their candy on Halloween, so some team will take a chance on him because he can still hoop and arguably has the best handles ever for a point guard. The Lakers, his long-rumored preferred destination, can only create around $34 million in cap space. That's plenty, but it's far off of the roughly $47 million a 10-year veteran like Irving will be able to demand under next year's projected $134 million cap. Beyond Los Angeles, six teams are projected to have at least $30 million in cap space this offseason, according to Keith Smith: the Rockets, Spurs, Pistons, Jazz, Pacers and Magic. All six of those teams are rebuilding, and likely wouldn't be interested in a mercurial, veteran point guard. Only the Rockets and Spurs are currently even positioned to make a max offer.
That is why Irving had to ask for a trade now. He wants a max contract. The open market won't have enough cap space to give him one. Irving wants to get paid. His path to getting paid is getting traded and helping some team besides the Nets compete for the championship.
Now I'm going to put my tin foil hat on to why I believe Kyrie will end up with the Lakers. The NBA is rigged and loves drama. We all heard the same about the NFL being rigged from Arian Foster and @PFTCommenter on the @macrodosingpod. NBA isn't a league that cares about politics, all they care about with the players is whether or not "he's a bucket". "Oh Kyrie hates the Jews? But have you seen him finish at the rim?" Everyone and their mother (my roommate) knows the ratings would be through the roof watching Kyrie and Lebron reunite in Hollywood and end up in some divorce 2 years down the road when Lebron says Bronny Jr is a better guard than Kyrie and ships his ass to Houston (great strip clubs, I've heard). On the flip side they would need to clear cap space....and staying with the script, that would reunite KD and Russel Westbrook in BK. Who wouldn't want to see what KD and Russ could do together at this point in their career. Probably the same they did while in OKC, but who knows maybe theyve both grown up and their games could finally mess together as Russ has been successful as a 6th man this year.
The Nets probably could have traded Irving to the Lakers in July, when discussions are known to have taken place. The Lakers probably could have traded for Irving in November, when his presence was so radioactive that the Nets had to suspend him for two weeks. Neither team pulled the trigger when it had the chance. In both instances, the other retained just enough leverage to talk itself out of a deal.
Now onto GM of the Year, Young Horn.
Lakers will probably through in a pick for good measure. But who says no? (Probably the Nets)